Bugs Bunny in Mossflower
by wweather
Summary: Bugs Bunny comes to Mossflower and helps Martin defeat Tsarmina.
1. Chapter 1

Mossflower lay deep in the grip of midwinter beneath a sky of leaden gray that showed tinges of scarlet and orange on the horizon. A cold mantle of snow draped the landscape, covering the flatlands to the west. Winter had muted the earth.

The muffled stillness was broken only when a hare popped his head out of the snow. Bugs Bunny looked around. He didn't recognize this place at all. "Musta taken a wrong turn at Albuquerque," he mused.

On one side of him, there was a forest full of trees. On the other side, Bugs could see some mountains in the distance. Then he turned around and saw a big red castle looming behind him. "That don't look like a very friendly place," he said to himself. "Well, I guess I'd better scout around an' see if I can find anyone who knows the lay o' the land hereabouts." He shivered.

Bugs jumped out of his rabbit hole and set off into the woods. He hadn't gone far when he came upon a little house. He knocked on the door.

A gruff voice called from inside, "Be off with you and leave us alone. There's not enough food in here to go around a decent hedgehog family. You've already taken half of all we have to swell the larders in Kotir."

Bugs was taken aback. "Say, Doc, what kinda greeting is that for a poor hare who's freezin' his tail off?"

The door opened. A hedgehog was standing there. "My apologies, friend. I didn't realize you were a hare. I thought you might a been one of Verdauga's soldiers, lookin' fer more vittles."

"Who da heck is Verdauga?" Bugs asked.

"You're not from around here, are you?" said the hedgehog.

"I sure ain't."

The hedgehog's face wrinkled with concern. "Well, you've picked a poor time to visit Mossflower Woods, my friend. You'd best come in and rest by my fire. My name's Ben Stickle."

"Pleased ta meet ya, Doc. My name's Bugs Bunny." Bugs came in.

As Bugs sat down in a chair by the fireplace, Ben introduced him to his wife Goody Stickle, and their four children, Ferdy, Coggs, Posy, and Spike. "This is a nice cozy place ya got here," said Bugs.

"No, it isn't," said Goody Stickle. "We live under the shadow of a tyrant. Lord Verdauga Greeneyes."

"Oh yeah, Ben said somethin' about him. Who is he?"

"Lord Verdauga Greeneyes is an evil cat," Ben explained. "He came to Mossflower and took it over."

"Does he live in that big red castle I saw?" Bugs asked.

"Aye, Castle Kotir, that's the one. We all have to do what he says or else he'll send his vermin soldiers to kill us, weasels 'n' stoats an' the like."

Before Bugs could say anything, there came a knock at the door.

Bang! Bang!

"Open up in there! Come on, get this door open! This is an official Kotir patrol."

The frustration was clear on Goody's face. "I knew we should have run off and left this place, like the others!" She threw a blanket over the hedgehog kids, hiding them.

Ben reluctantly lifted the latch, and the door burst open. There were three soldiers, a weasel, a ferret, and a stoat. They all tried to come through the door at once and got stuck.

"Spread out!" Scratch, the weasel snarled, raising his paws and smacking the other two vermin. He pushed past them into the living room. "Well now, dozy spikes, where are you hiding all the bread and cheese and October Ale?"

Ben could scarce keep the hatred from his voice as he answered the sneering weasel. "It's many a long season since I tasted cheese or October Ale. There's bread on the shelf, but only enough for my family."

The stoat, Splitnose, spat into the fire and reached for the bread. Ben tried to stop him, but the ferret, Blacktooth, whacked Ben over the paw with the handle of his spear.

Goody placed a restraining paw on her husband's spikes. "Please, Ben, don't fight 'em, the great bullies."

Bugs chimed in, "Yeah, there ain't much you can do against spears, Doc."

Blacktooth turned to Bugs as if seeing him for the first time. "Huh, what're you doing here, long ears?"

Ferdy poked his head out from under the blanket. "He came in for a warm by our fire. You leave him alone!"

Splitnose burst out laughing, spraying crumbs from the bread he was eating. "Look out, Blackie. There's more of 'em under that blanket. I'd watch 'em, if I were you. Nyuck, nyuck, nyuck!"

Scratch pulled the blanket off, exposing the other three young ones. "Hmm, they look big enough to do a day's work."

Goody Stickle sprang fiercely in front of them. "You let my liddle ones be. They ain't harmed nobody."

Scratch ignored her completely. He knocked the bread out of Splitnose's paws. "That food's not for you, ya dope! It's for the royal family. You tryin' to ruin us?" He picked up the loaf of bread and hit the stoat over the head with it.

Splitnose made a noise like "MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!"

"Aw, why don't you leave him alone?" said Blacktooth.

Scratch held out a fist. "See that?" He brought his fist into Blacktooth's face. Blacktooth cried out in pain.

"Now come on, you chuckleheads. We're leaving!" Scratch looked back over his shoulder at the Stickle family. "And I want to see those four little ones out in the fields tomorrow. Either that, or you can all spend the rest of the winter safe and sound… in Kotir dungeons!"

Anger had been building up inside Bugs as he observed the vermin's bullying ways. Now he spoke out. "Say, Doc, don't ya want some tea before ya go?"

"Tea? I don't see no tea," Scratch scoffed.

Bugs was hiding something behind his back. "I got it right here, Doc. Now do ya want one lump or two?"

"I want two!" cried Blacktooth.

"Okay, here ya go," said Bugs. And he pulled a giant mallet out from behind his back and gave Blacktooth his two lumps, right on top of the head. Bugs turned to Splitnose. "How many lumps do you want? One or two?"

"Two! No, wait, more than two! I want a whole lotta lumps! Woo, woo, woo!" the stoat shouted.

"All right, Doc, you asked for it," Bugs said. And he let Splitnose have it with the mallet, raising a whole lotta lumps on top of the stoat's head.

"I'm a victim of circumstance," Splitnose groaned.

"Now how many lumps do you want, weasel?" Bugs asked Scratch.

"I don't want any lumps!" Scratch snapped. "I know what you're gonna do! You're gonna hit me on the head just like you did those other two saps! I'm not as stupid as I look, you know!"

"That would be pretty difficult to imagine," Bugs said. "If you don't want any lumps, then beat it back to your castle and leave this hedgehog family alone. I'm normally a pretty nice guy, but when I see bullies like you pickin' on weaker creatures, I get mad!"

Scratch's face flushed with fury, but he knew when he was beaten. "Come on. Let's get out of here!" he ordered the other vermin.

"An' you can just leave that bread right where it is!" Bugs added. With scowls on their faces, Scratch, Blacktooth and Splitnose departed.

"Oh, Mr. Bunny, you were marvelous!" Goody exclaimed when they were gone.

"Aw, it wasn't nothin'. I deal with schmucks like that all the time. In my old neighborhood, there was a guy named Pete Puma who was always trying to eat smaller animals. I used that same trick of offering tea with a whole lotta lumps to get rid of him."

"Well, you can't stay here now," said Ben. "They're sure to come back looking for you now. Some of the animals that work for Verdauga are ten times as dangerous as those stooges. We'll have to take you to the Corim."

"What's the Corim, Doc?" Bugs asked.

"It's an acronym. C-O-R-I-M, Council Of Resistance In Mossflower. They're the animals who fight against Verdauga and his family. They live in a place called Brockhall. We'll go there tonight, if we can find it."

"Ben, come 'ere, look at this!" Goody was standing by the window.

Ben went to join her. "What is it, wife? They're not comin' back already, are they?"

"No, Ben. Ho-ho-ho, lookit that, by hokey! See the punch he landed on that weasel's nose? Go on, give it to 'em, laddo!"

Bugs came to the window too. "Punch? Who punched a weasel? What's happening?" He looked outside and saw a mouse, struggling with the vermin. They were trying to capture him, but the mouse battled on heroically, swinging at them with a sword. Finally, they managed to take it away from him and tie the mouse up.

Ben was momentarily crestfallen, but then he clapped his paws together. "Now is the time, while the patrol's busy with the fighter. They've got a job on their paws, draggin' him back to the cat's castle. Come on, let's get a-goin' while the goin's good."


	2. Chapter 2

The mouse's name was Martin the Warrior. He had come from the northlands.

Scratch and his cohorts dragged Martin through the door of Castle Kotir, pulling him on a rope. They were careful not to get too close to him.

Splitnose had taken charge of Martin's sword. "Boy, oh boy, this is a real sharp stick you got there! Woo, woo, woo!"

"That sword is not yours," Martin said. "It belongs to me, as it belonged to my father. Do you know what happened to the last stoat who tried to take it away from me?"

Scratch tugged on the rope, tightening it around Martin's neck. "Shut your mouth," he said. Martin gasped for breath.

They led Martin up a staircase and down a hall. A pine marten with a wooden leg came out of a nearby door. "What've you got there?" he asked.

"We caught a mouse, Ashleg! Look at this thing he was carrying! Nyuck, nyuck, nyuck!" Splitnose twirled the sword around, accidently clipping off Scratch's whiskers.

"Gimme that!" Scratch growled. "A chucklehead like you should never be trusted around a high-class weapon." He snatched the sword from the stoat. Martin took advantage of the confusion to pull on the rope, causing Scratch to lose his balance and fall to the ground. Then he was off like a shot, running back across the hall to the stairs.

He might have actually managed to escape if he hadn't run into a fox, who was coming up the stairs at that very moment. Martin and the fox collided and fell to the ground. But the fox was quick on her feet, and she jumped back up and grabbed Martin. "What are you doing here, mouse?"

Scratch ran up to them. "We caught him trespassing. We were gonna show him to Lord Verdauga."

"Well, I'll take him up. I was headed that way anyway." She dragged Martin back upstairs to where Ashleg was.

"You're late, Fortunata," Ashleg said. "Old Greeneyes doesn't like to be kept waiting. Have you got his medicine?"

"Of course."

Ashleg opened the door and called out in an empty singsong dirge, "Oh, mighty Verdauga Greeneyes, Lord of Mossflower, Master of the Thousand Eyes, Slayer of Enemies, Ruler of Kotir…"

"Ah, give your whining tongue a rest, Ashleg. Is the fox here?" The imperious voice from within sounded hoarse but full of snarling menace.

"Yes, I'm here," Fortunata called in a wheedling tone. "I've got your sleeping potion, and I've got a prisoner."

"A prisoner?" Verdauga repeated.

Fortunata pushed Martin into the room ahead of her. "This mouse was caught within the bounds of your lands. He is a stranger and goes armed." Scratch marched in, placed Martin's sword on the floor, and marched out again.

Martin saw a cat lying on a four-poster bed. The curtains were open but his face was drawn. Verdauga Greeneyes had once been the mightiest warlord in all the land… once. Now his muscle and sinew lay wasted under the tawny fur that covered his big, tired body. The face was that of a wildcat who had survived many battles: the pointed ears stood above a tracery of old scars that ran from crown to whiskers.

Beside the bed were two chairs, occupied by Verdauga's two children. His son, Gingivere, had orange fur like his father, but his daughter Tsarmina had sleek dark fur like black ivory, except for her headfur, which was blonde. She was beautiful but evil.

"It is against my law to carry arms or to trespass on my domain," Verdauga croaked. "What is your name?"

"My name is Martin the Warrior," said Martin the Warrior. "I didn't know it was your land, cat. You have no right to imprison a freeborn creature."

Tsarmina leaped up. She drew her own sword and pointed it at Martin. "Ye insolent scum! Where did you steal that rusty relic?"

"Princess Tsarmina!" yelled the king. "I will not have you acting a fool. Now sit down."

"It's okay," Martin said. "The princess is just distraught. You should take her out to graze somewhere." Gingivere could not resist a small laugh at this. Ashleg and Fortunata gasped in shock.

"How dare you talk to me like that, ye luminous commoner!" Tsarmina swung her sword in the air.

"I didn't steal this sword," Martin went on. "My father Luke the Warrior gave it to me."

Verdauga drew in a sharp intake of breath. "Luke the Warrior was your father? Then you must have inherited warrior powers from him!"

"Rubbish!" Tsarmina sneered. "Mice can't be warriors. They're herbivores."

"I am a Warrior," Martin insisted. He picked up his sword. "Many's the enemy learned his lesson at the point of this sword- sea rats, mercenary foxes too." Fortunata winced.

"Well, then, I challenge you to a duel!" Tsarmina cried.

Martin felt bad for Tsarmina, because he was really good with swords and she was sweating profusely just from holding one up over her head. He didn't have anything against her, but for some reason she hated him. But she wasn't about to put her sword away, so Martin raised his sword too. "I accept your challenge, Princess!"

"I'm going to cut off your head and put it on my wall, rodent!" Tsarmina charged at Martin, sword in paw. Lots of sparks flew off their blades when they connected.

Martin swung at her and sheared off the blonde braid that ran down the cat's back. It fell to the floor.

"My hair!" she yelled. "It's my most cherished possession and you ruined it!"

"That's enough," said Verdauga. "Now, what shall we do with this mouse? Gingivere, have you nothing to say?"

Gingivere answered without raising his voice. "It would be unjust to punish Martin. He is a stranger and could not be expected to know of us or our laws. If it were my decision, I would have him escorted from our territory, then given his weapon. He would know better than to come back again."

"No! We can't let him go! We have to execute him for the audacity he has shown!" Tsarmina shouted.

Verdauga held up his paw for silence. "There are enough cowards in the world without killing a brave creature for so little reason. But he is a dangerous warrior, so we cannot allow him to leave this castle. It is my judgement that he be put in the cells. Ashleg, relieve him of his sword."

Ashleg obeyed. Suddenly, Tsarmina grabbed Martin's sword away from the pine marten, and cut it in half with her own sword. She picked up the broken sword handle. "Tie this around his neck. It will remind him that I am stronger than him."

Some guards came in to take Martin away to the dungeon. Martin tried to fight, but there were too many of them. The last thing he saw before the bedroom door closed was Tsarmina waving goodbye. "So long, mouse! Next time it won't be your sword that I cut- it'll be you!"

Verdauga coughed painfully and lay back on his bed. The excitement had worn him out. "I need my medicine."

"Here you go," Fortunata held out a beaker. "I mixed up an extra strong sleeping potion just for you."

Gingivere took the potion. He was the only one that his father trusted to administer his medicine. Tsarmina and Fortunata left the room together.

Outside in the corridor the cat gripped the fox's paw in her powerful claws. "Well, did you fix the medicine?"

"Aye. He's taken enough poison to lay half the garrison low."

Tsarmina pulled the vixen close, her eyes burning. "Good, but if he's still alive in the morning you had better prepare some poison for yourself. It would be a lot easier than facing me if you fail."

"I won't fail," Fortunata promised. "Verdauga will die, and since your brother gave him the potion, everybeast will think he's responsible. By this time tomorrow, you'll be the new queen of Mossflower!"


	3. Chapter 3

Meanwhile Bugs Bunny and the Stickle family were trying to find Brockhall. Ben squinted down at the map in his paws. "I can't read this. Somebody's spilled coffee all over it."

At that moment a figure bounded out from behind a snow laden bush. Ben nearly jumped out of his spikes.

But it was only a plump little mouse with a sack on his back. "Boo! Guess who? Hahaha, Ben, me old matey, you should have seen your face just then. Who's your friend?"

Ben recovered quickly. "Gonff, I might have known! This is Bugs Bunny. We're lookin' for Brockhall."

"What's up, Doc?" said Bugs.

The mouse extended a paw. "My name's Gonff the Mousethief, or Prince of Mousethieves to you, matey. I'm as likely a cove as ever pirated vittles from Kotir's galley."

"Have you been stealing from Koitr again, Gonff? What did you pinch this time?" Goody asked.

Gonff pulled a wedge of cheese out of his sack and tossed it over to the little hedgehogs. "It's not pinching or stealing if it comes out of Kotir, mateys. It's called liberating."

"Reminds me of when I used to liberate carrots from the gardens of hunters who wanted to make me into rabbit stew," Bugs laughed. "So I guess you're sorta like the Robin Hood of this place? Ya rob from the rich an' give to the poor?"

"That's about right, matey."

"Ya know, doc, I've done a little of that sorta thing myself. Whaddya say we team up sometime?"

"Sounds good to me."

Ben broke in. "Gonff, I need you to help us find Corim headquarters. I got this map from a mole, but Brockhall isn't marked anywhere on here, and it looks like somebeast poured a cup of coffee on the map."

Gonff took the map from him and burst out laughing. "Sillyspikes, the coffee stain _is_ what marks the location of Brockhall! We don't want to put it in plain sight for anybeast to see, so we just put the stain there to mark it. You're supposed to head for the spot on the map where the coffee is. Follow me, matey. I'll have you there in two shakes of a cat's whisker."

Goody shuddered. "I wish you wouldn't say things like that, you little rogue."

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At Kotir the next morning, Ashleg knocked on Verdauga's bedroom door. "My Lord Greeneyes, your breakfast is ready."

There was no reply.

Ashleg knocked again. Still no answer. He knew Verdauga hated to be disturbed, but he was starting to get worried. Slowly Ashleg pushed the door open and slipped inside. He found Lord Verdauga Greeneyes lying dead on his bed!

Ashleg panicked and rushed out of the room. He ran gibbering down the hallway, right into Tsarmina.

"Out of my way, woodenpin!" Tsarmina snapped.

"Lady Tsarmina, your father, he's dead!"

Tsarmina pretended to be shocked. "My father, dead?"

"I found him lying on his bed this morning."

Ashleg led Tsarmina into the bedroom, where she surveyed her father's body. "You're right, for once, weasel."

"Um, I'm not a weasel. I'm a pine marten…"

Tsarmina cut him off with a growl. "Fetch the fox and be quick about it."

Ashleg went and got Fortunata. Fortunata pretended to examine the corpse. "It looks like he's been poisoned," she said.

Tsarmina's cruel eyes burned. "My brother Gingivere must have done this. He's the one who gave Father his medicine last night!"

"What's going on?" Gingivere poked his head through the doorway.

Tsarmina pointed an accusing claw at him. "Murderer! You killed our father!"

"What?"

"Guards! Seize him!"

A weasel and a stoat came up behind Gingivere and each grabbed one of his arms.

"When our father went to bed last night, he was fine," Tsarmina said. "Now he's dead."

"Well, I didn't kill him," said Gingivere.

"The only thing he had was the medicine you gave him!" said Tsarmina.

Gingivere looked into Ashleg's eyes. "This is a setup. It's got to be. You know me. I wouldn't hurt anybeast."

"Shut up!" The pine marten raised his wooden leg and kicked Gingivere in the face. "You're a murderin' traitor! You probably killed your father just so you could become king!" Ashleg hadn't been in on the plot, so he truly believed Gingivere was a killer. His anger was genuine, which made him all the more dangerous to Gingivere.

Tsarmina raised her voice. "Silence! I will say what is to be done here. Even though my brother is a murderer, I cannot harm him. He will stay locked up in the cells until he lives out his days. He is now dead to me; I never again want to hear his name spoken within the walls of Kotir."

The guards marched Gingivere down to the dungeons and put him in a cell right across from Martin. Martin gaped at him. "What are you doing in here?"

Blood dripped from Gingivere's mouth. "My father is dead, and Tsarmina blames me."

"But you didn't actually kill him?"

"No. I think the fox, Fortunata, must have put poison in the medicine I gave to my father, on Tsarmina's orders."

"When I was taken prisoner, you were the only one who tried to help me," Martin said. "You said I should be set free. I've not forgotten that, even though we're on opposite sides. Maybe we can help each other."

Upstairs they could hear the soldiers chanting, "Long live Queen Tsarmina! Long live Queen Tsarmina!" It was going to be a long, hard winter.


	4. Chapter 4

That winter, Bugs Bunny became good friends with all the Corim animals. He and Gonff went on many expeditions together to Kotir, stealing all the best food and bringing it back to share with the other animals.

One day in spring, Bugs and Gonff were at the edge of the woods, looking at the castle in the distance.

"It's a good day for thieving, eh matey?" said Gonff.

"Ya got that right, Doc," responded Bugs. "I think today I'm gonna check out the produce section again, if ya know what I mean."

"As for me, I'll liberate some cheese and elderberry wine from the larders," Gonff chuckled.

"Well, we'd better get to it. No time like the present, Doc," said Bugs. He jumped into a hole in the ground and Gonff followed him.

Since arriving in Mossflower, Bugs had dug an intricate system of tunnels beneath Kotir. One tunnel led to a storeroom in the basement, while another ran below the vegetable garden. He had done all this without the knowledge of the vermin, who couldn't figure out where all their food kept disappearing to.

"You know, matey, ever since you started coming along with me, I've never been caught once," Gonff said as they crawled along. "These tunnels were a great idea."

They came to a fork in the tunnel. Bugs went one way and Gonff took the other. "Don't let 'em catch ya, Doc," Bugs called as they parted ways.

Once Bugs was underneath the garden, he reached up and started pulling carrots down from above, right under the noses of the weasels who were supposed to be guarding them. He could hear their confused shouts as the carrots seemingly vanished right in front of their eyes.

Bugs hurried along the passage with the carrots. Another successful day's work.

But when he poked his head out of the hole he'd come in by, he found a platoon of soldiers standing there waiting for him, with Tsarmina at their head.

Despite the danger, Bugs smiled impudently. "What's up, Doc?"

Tsarmina grabbed him by the ears and pulled him up out of the hole. "How dare you address the ruler of Kotir as 'Doc'?"

"Well, you ain't my ruler, that's for sure."

Tsarmina grinned wickedly. "So now we know who's been stealing from us all winter."

Bugs looked around at the guards with an air of injured innocence. "Me, steal? I beg your pardon, did you know the head cook gave me permission to borrow whatever I want? Actually, I was gonna return the favor by sendin' 'im some good recipes, cause I hear his cookin' leaves somethin' to be desired…"

Tsarmina touched Bugs' chin with the point of her sword. "Spare me your lies, hare. Where is your accomplice, the one they call Gonff the Thief?"

"Ya mean Gonff the Mousethief? Tubby little mouse, green shirt, always carries a pack on his back?"

"Yes, yes. Where is he?"

Bugs shrugged. "Nope. Doesn't ring a bell."

"You just described him perfectly!" Tsarmina brought her face close to Bugs'. He could see all her sharp teeth. "I know you never come here to steal without him."

"I DID come alone!" Bugs yelled. "I'm BY MYSELF!"

Gonff was coming down the passage toward the exit hole, laden with cheese and wine, when he heard Bugs yelling. He knew immediately that Bugs' shout was a message to him to stay hidden and not reveal himself.

"GET AWAY from me!" Bugs shouted, deliberately making some words louder than others. "I wanna GO HOME! GET your paws off me! HELP!" Gonff heard, "GET AWAY! GO HOME! GET HELP!" He realized Bugs was telling him not to try to rescue him and risk getting caught himself, but to go seek help from the Corim instead. So he backtracked until he came to a tunnel that led to a different escape hole in another part of Mossflower.

"Nobeast is going to help you," said Cludd, Tsarmina's weasel captain of the guard.

"A few days in the dungeons will wipe the smirk off his face," said Tsarmina.

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Martin paced around his cell. The broken sword handle hanging from his neck seemed to grow heavier with time. Lost in thought, he failed to hear the approach of guards bringing a prisoner to the cell door.

"Get the little devil in there quick. It'll be less trouble to feed two at once."

As the key turned in the lock, Martin ran to the door but was immediately bowled over by another figure which shot through the doorway straight in on top of him. Together they fell over backward as the cell door slammed shut again. The two prisoners lay still until the pawsteps of the guards retreated down the corridor.

Martin wriggled out from beneath his new cellmate. It was Bugs Bunny!

The realization that he was in prison did not seem to trouble Bugs unduly. He grinned jauntily at Martin. "What's up, Doc?" he asked.

Martin leaned against the wall. He could not help smiling at his odd cellmate. "My name's Martin the Warrior. What's yours?"

Bugs extended a paw. "Martin the Warrior, eh? Say, Doc, you're a fine, strong lookin' fella, even though ya could do with a bit o' fattening up. My name's Bugs Bunny."

Martin shook Bugs warmly by the paw. "Bugs Bunny. That's an interesting name."

"Well, Bugs is really only a nickname. My real name is George Washington Bunny!"

"You're kidding."

"Nope. I cannot tell a lie. But everyone just calls me Bugs."

"What did they throw you in here for, Bugs?" Martin asked.

They sat down together. "They caught me runnin' down their stocks o' carrots, y'see. But don't worry, Doc, they can't keep a Toon locked up for long. Just gimme a few minutes to get things organized an' we'll say bye-bye to this dump."


	5. Chapter 5

Brockhall was the ancestral home of the Brock family. It was entirely underground, with a secret entrance hidden in an oak tree. Right now it was crammed with woodland creatures, the largest of whom was a badger, Bella. She was the last member of the Brock family left in Mossflower. Skipper, an otter chieftain, was there, and so was Lady Amber, the queen of the squirrels. There was also a rooster named Foghorn Leghorn and a skunk called Pepe le Pew.

Seated by the fire, Gonff the Mousethief answered the council's questions.

"Where did you see Bugs captured?" Bella asked.

"Westerly, over near the fringe by Kotir. He got caught by Tsarmina and her soldiers when he came out of his hole."

"Sacre bleu!" exclaimed Pepe le Pew. "I knew zat would 'appen one day."

"I was sittin' further down the tunnel," Gonff continued. "I heard Bugs shout at me to go get help, so I decided to come back here, knowin' there was a gatherin' of Corim."

Pepe winked at him. "And of course, your decision to come back 'ad nothing to do with ze pot of French onion soup and ze baguettes I was making today, mon ami."

"No, but I think I could manage some, matey!"

Bella rubbed huge paws across her eyes and sat back with a grunt of despair. "Well, here's another pretty pickle our friend Bugs has gotten himself into. Any suggestions?"

Amber clucked disapprovingly. "If I had my way, I'd leave the silly creature to stew his paws in Kotir awhile. That'd teach him a lesson."

Skipper whacked his rudderlike tail against the hearth. "Belay that kind o' talk, mate. You know that the little uns round here would have gone hungry many a time if not for Bugs and Gonff."

Foghorn Leghorn raised his wing. "Ah say, ah say, we should rescue Bugs. Ah'd be ashamed to call mahself a Toon, leavin' another Toon in Kotir prison."

"Let's put it to a vote," Bella said.

Pepe clapped his paws. "Well said! She ees not only beautiful, but she ees an excellent leader, too!" He was infatuated with Bella. Because she had a white stripe down her back, he thought she was a skunk like him.

By a show of paws, the vote to rescue Bugs was unanimous. Then there was a temporary respite for refreshment, while the assembly helped themselves to bowls of Pepe's onion soup and French bread.

"I've taught Bugs to use my lock-picking tools," Gonff said as they ate. "If we can get them to him somehow, he can use them to escape?"

"But how can we bring him the tools?" Bella pointed out. "If any of us approach Kotir, we'll just get thrown in the dungeons right alongside Bugs."

"Ah say, Ah know somethin' that might help us," Foghorn said. "Henry is back in Mossflower."

Henry was a hawk. When Henry was a boy, Foghorn had befriended him. It was Henry's dearest ambition to eat a chicken, but he didn't know that Foghorn was a chicken. Since Henry had no idea what a chicken looked like, Foghorn had told him that the animals at Kotir were chickens.

Now Henry was a full-grown hawk, not a little one like in the cartoons. He was the biggest animal in Mossflower, and the soldiers at Kotir lived in mortal terror of him, because he had eaten many of them. In fact, he was the one who took Ashleg's leg.

Henry would do anything Foghorn told him to do, so when the Corim leaders approached him and asked him to deliver Gonff's tools to Bugs in the cells, he was happy to oblige. "I can eat a couple of chickens while I'm there, right?" he said.

"If you can catch 'em," Foghorn chuckled.

"Okay, Foggy! I'm on my way!"

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Ashleg was standing guard on the walls of Kotir when he heard wings flapping overhead. He recognized that sound. Only one bird in Mossflower had wings that made a noise like that. "Henry! Oh my God!"

"I want a chicken now!"

Henry swooped and dived, but Ashleg managed to scramble through the trapdoor that led back inside and slam it behind him in the nick of time. Henry crashed into the door face first.

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"I spy, with my little eye, somethin' that's gray," Bugs said.

"Is it the wall?" Martin asked.

"Yep. How'd ya guess?"

"Because it's always the wall!"

"Yeah, there's really nothin' else in here."

Something rattled through the slit window. In the semigloom they groped about in the straw on the floor until Bugs found the object. "This is somethin' my pals sent me to help us get outta here," he said.

Martin could not conceal his disappointment. "Goodness me, a stick. How helpful. We could take this place single pawed with a stick. What a useful thing to send us."

"It ain't a stick, Doc. Look!" Bugs undid the thin wire that ran around the object, revealing it to be a rolled-up piece of paper with a slim blade inside. He read the paper out loud.

"Bugs, here are my tools. Leave by the woodland side of Kotir at the first light of dawn. Skipper an' Amber will be waitin' to cover for ya. Gonff."

"Who is Gonff?" Martin asked.

"Oh, you'll like him, Doc. He's an expert mousethief an' my best friend. He sent us this wire an' this blade we can use to pick the lock on our cell door. Once we get out, our friends Skipper an' Amber will escort us to safety. Skipper is an otter and Amber is a squirrel."

"But they don't know about me, do they? They probably think they're just rescuing you."

"Don't worry, we'll work somethin' out. The Council of Resistance in Mossflower will be glad to have a trained warrior on their side."

Martin clasped Bugs' paw warmly. "Okay, so what do we do now?"

"When is the next guard patrol due?" Bugs asked.

"In about an hour's time, regular as clockwork since I've been here. After that, there'll be nobody by until two hours after dawn when they bring the bread and water."

"Good, that gives us time for a little rest," Bugs said, stretching out comfortably on the straw.

Martin lay down, willing himself to relax against the floodtide of excitement building inside him. "You know, Bugs, you don't really sound like a hare."

"Whaddya mean?"

"Well, all the hares I've known were all Britishy and said 'What what' at the end of every sentence, but you talk more like a New York Boston guy."

"Well, I was born in Manhattan, so I'm from the other side of the pond, Doc. And I'm only half hare. My mother was a hare an' my father was a rabbit."

"Okay, that makes sense." They settled down to wait for dawn.


	6. Chapter 6

Martin sat bolt upright at the sound of a bird on the outside. He shook Bugs soundly. "Wake up, sleepyhead. It'll be dawn in less than an hour."

Bugs sat up. Rubbing his paws into half-opened eyes, he looked upward to the narrow strip of sky through the barred window slit. "Time to go, Doc." He took out Gonff's knife. Sliding it into the keyhole of the cell door, he twitched it back and forth. "Oh good, an easy one."

With both eyes closed and a smile of pleasure on his face, he jiggled the blade until there was a metallic click. "That's it, Doc. Give it a shove."

Martin pushed the door, but it refused to open. "It's still shut. What's gone wrong?"

Bugs tested it carefully, pushing until he heard a slight rattle. "Bolts. I'll need a boost- can ya hold me up, Doc?"

Martin braced his back against the door, cupped his paws and squared his shoulders. "Try me."

Bugs climbed up and balanced on his friend's shoulders.

Martin bore his weight patiently. "How does it look up there?" he asked anxiously.

Bugs' voice came back punctuated by grunts of concentration. "No real problems, Doc. Leastways, nothin' I can't handle." He wrapped the wire around the bolt handle, trying to look like he knew what he was doing.

"I don't know how much longer I can hold your weight."

Bugs wedged the knife underneath the bolt. "Almost done…"

More by luck than anything else, the door swung open, and Martin and Bugs tumbled in a heap out into the passage. Bugs started laughing uproariously. Martin clapped a paw across his noisy friend's mouth. "Sssshhh! You'll have the guards coming down to check on the din."

Martin closed the door carefully and re-bolted it. "C'mon, let's get outta here," Bugs said.

But Martin paused by Gingivere's cell across the hall. "Maybe we should try to get him out too."

"No, Martin. Save yourself." Gingivere sounded weak and despairing.

Bugs peered at him through the bars. "Aren't you Tsarmina's brother? What da heck are you doin' in there?"

"Tsarmina threw me in here. She killed our father and blamed me. The two of you need to get far away from her."

Bugs pulled Martin away, calling as he went, "Okay, Doc, but if there's a way we can help ya when we're free, we will."

As they hurried along the corridor, Gingivere's voice echoed behind. "Thank you. Good fortune go with both of you friends."

They reached the end of the passage and mounted the stairs. At the top was a wooden door. Bugs held up a paw for silence as he eased it open. It was all clear. They stepped out into a broad hallway which stretched away to the left and right of them.

Martin scratched his head. "Which way? Left or right?"

Bugs placed the knife on the floor and spun it around. When it stopped, the blade was pointing left. "Left. C'mon, Doc."

Continuing down the hallway, they saw a high window with the morning sunlight streaming through. Bugs groaned. "Oh no, we're late. The cell was so dark, we musta lost track o' the time. Well, if we hurry they might still be waitin' outside for us."

As they went around a corner, they ran right into Tsarmina, Fortunata, and Ashleg!

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Skipper and a bunch of his otters were waiting outside with Amber and a bunch of squirrels. Pepe le Pew had come along too.

"We can't hang the anchor round here much longer, marm," Skipper whispered to Amber.

Amber stared at Kotir's gloomy walls. "You're right, Skip. We could be spotted in broad daylight from those walls quite easily."

"Where in ze name of ze fur 'as Bugs got to?" Pepe wondered.

Skipper shrugged resignedly. "We can only give him a little longer. Then we'll have to push off and try another day."

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Tsarmina gave a yowl of rage and seized Bugs Bunny's leg. This was followed by a more anguished yowl as Martin whipped out Gonff's blade and stabbed Tsarmina sharply in the paw, forcing her to release his friend.

"Follow me!" Martin grabbed Bugs and ran down the hall, giving Fortunata a good slash across the rump with the blade as he went. The vixen collided with Ashleg, and they fell in a jumble. Tsarmina tripped over them. She struggled to extricate herself, screaming curses and raking the unlucky pair with her claws.

"Blockheads, idiots, out of my way."

That hallway ended in a staircase. Martin and Bugs ran up it and dashed into the first room they could find, slamming the door shut behind them.

"We can't stay here long!" Martin panted. "We need a plan."

Bugs looked around at the pink canopy bed in the room and the dressing table with the large mirror. "This looks like a pretty cushy pad. I think this is Tsarmina's bedroom."

They heard banging on the door. "Open up, this instant!" Tsarmina's voice shouted.

"No!" Bugs yelled back.

"Why not?"

"Cause you're gonna kill us if we open the door!"

"They've really got us figured out," Ashleg said.

Tsarmina's tone was contemptuous. "Shut up, woodenleg. If you can't say something helpful, don't say anything at all."

"At least we know we've got them cornered in here," Fortunata said.

Tsarmina lowered her voice as she called the other two close. "I'll be right back. I have to get an ax to break down the door."

Meanwhile, inside, Bugs had wandered over to the closet and was putting on one of Tsarmina's dresses.

"I don't see how that's going to help us," Martin said.

"Just play along, Doc." Bugs finished slipping the dress over his head and applied some lipstick to his face. He completed the ensemble by taking a basket of fruit off the table and putting it on his head like Carmen Miranda. Then he opened the door.

Ashleg and Fortunata were taken aback at the sight of Bugs in drag. "Milady! How did you get in here? I thought you were going to get an ax!" Fortunata exclaimed.

Bugs imitated Tsarmina's voice. "I'm just going to take Martin here out into the woods and execute him there."

"Why?" Ashleg cried. "I didn't do anything wrong!"

"Not you. The other Martin."

"I thought I was the only pine marten in Kotir."

Fortunata snorted contemptuously. "It's the mouse, dolt. His name is Martin."

"Oh. Well, that's really confusing," Ashleg said. "You've got a pine marten, and then you've got a mouse named Martin…"

Bugs took Martin by the arm and started leading him down the hall. For a moment, Martin thought they were saved.

Then he saw Tsarmina coming towards them with an ax.

Tsarmina and Bugs stood face to face, staring at each other. Bugs started copying her movements. She tilted her head to the left, and so did he. She tilted her head to the right, and so did he.

Finally Tsarmina recollected herself. "Fortunata! Ashleg! Seize that imposter who stole my clothes!"

"Don't listen to her!" Bugs shouted, still imitating the cat's voice. "She's the imposter!"

"How can we be sure which one is the real queen?" Ashleg asked in confusion.

"I'm the real queen!" Tsarmina raged. "I'm not the one wearing a bowl of fruit on my head! Have you ever known me to do that before?"

"Ask her a question only the true Tsarmina would know," Fortunata suggested.

"All right. When's my birthday?" Ashleg demanded.

Tsarmina ground her teeth. "How in Hellgates am I supposed to know when your birthday is?"

"Is it August 12?" Bugs asked.

Ashleg gaped. "That's right! This is the real one!" He and Fortunata rushed at Tsarmina and seized her. But Tsarmina wrested herself free of them and brought the ax down on Bugs' fruit headdress. It split in half, revealing his giant bunny ears.

"You see, fools? I'm the real Tsarmina! This is just a bunny in a dress!"

"Run for it, Doc!" Bugs advised. He and Martin took off. Ashleg jumped in front of him and blocked their way, but Bugs, who was still wearing a dress and lipstick, planted a big sloppy kiss in the middle of Ashleg's face. That took all the fight out of the marten, and he just stood aside in a daze as they ran past him.

This time Martin took the lead as they went straight down the hall and through the door at the opposite end. They found themselves in an upper messroom full of soldiers, stoats, ferrets, and weasels, all eating breakfast at a long trestle table with a window at one end. Taken completely by surprise, the soldiers sat gaping at the two fugitives.

"Stop them! Kill them!" Tsarmina's enraged shouts reached them as she ran toward the mess.

Bugs sized up the situation at a glance: the unexpected was called for. Without a second thought he pulled Martin with him. They ran across the room, bounded from a vacant seat up onto the tabletop and dashed madly along it, scattering food, drink and vessels everywhere as they went. Together the Toon and the warrior leaped through the open window into empty space with a loud defiant shout.

"YAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

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Skipper and Amber both heard the cry.

So did Pepe le Pew.

Amber bounded down from the tree where she had been perched. "It's Bugs, but there's a mouse with him. They jumped from the upper barracks window."

"We'd better get 'round there," Skipper said. "Are they hurt?"

"No, but talk about lucky, they landed right in the foliage of a big old yew tree growing on that side."

Pepe leaped up. "We'll 'ave to get zem out of zere double quick. Amber, you bring your squirrel and give me some cover. I am going in."

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Inside Kotir, Tsarmina laid about with a sturdy wooden ladle. "Don't stand gawping, you dimwitted toads! Someone get out there and capture them!"

There was an immediate stampede to grab weapons and buckle armor on. The soldiers all hurried downstairs and out to the courtyard, where Martin and Bugs were cornered in the tree.

"How are we gonna get outta this one, Doc?" Bugs asked.

Martin gritted his teeth. "If my sword wasn't broken, we could fight our way out!"

Down below, the vermin were gathering around the base of the tree. Tsarmina rubbed her paws together. "We've got them."

She snatched a spear from a weasel and flung it up at Martin, but it just bounced off a branch and fell back down. Ashleg had to dodge to avoid being hit by it. He tripped on the hem of the long red cloak he always wore and fell over. "Nice shot," he said sarcastically.

Tsarmina picked him up by his cloak. "Shut your blathering face and get me my bow and arrows. Those'll do the trick." Ashleg ran inside to get them.

Bugs was pulling faces at the wildcat Queen. He blew out his cheeks, stuck a paw to his nose, and rolled his eyes in the most ridiculous manner. Tsarmina stamped with rage.

Then Pepe le Pew came strolling right in through the castle gate. The vermin turned to stare at him.

"Now who is this guy?" Scratch the weasel demanded.

"He must be one of those Corim rebels," Tsarmina said.

"He looks like an undersized stripedog! Nyuck, nyuck, nyuck!" Splitnose commented.

"Ah, mon ami, I am not ze dog of ze stripes, but a skunk!" Pepe said. "Permit me to introduce myself. I am Pepe le Pew!" And he lifted his tail and sprayed skunk scent everywhere.

The vermin coughed and gagged. Many of them dropped their weapons because they were holding their noses. But the smell didn't reach Martin and Bugs up in the tree.

"Oh man, what is that awful smell?" Blacktooth gasped.

Fortunata had a paw over her nostrils, so her voice sounded nasal. "This is too nauseating for words!"

"Stop dithering about and put a spear through him!" Tsarmina ordered.

"I wouldn't recommend that, milady," Fortunata said. "I've heard a skunk smells even worse after he dies." Nobeast made a move to attack Pepe, who was happily dancing a can-can around the courtyard.

"I'll kill him myself!" Tsarmina grunted, and she ran at Pepe with her spear. But when she got close to him, he lifted his tail again and blasted her right in the face!

In the tree, Bugs was laughing his head off, and Martin could not suppress a giggle either. Just then Amber bounded onto the branch they were sitting on, landing right between them. She spoke sternly to Bugs. "Now none of your shenanigans, hare. You, whoever you are, just relax and leave the rest to us. You're in safe paws."

She grabbed Martin and leaped over the outer wall of Kotir, landing in another tree on the other side of the wall. With Martin in her arms, Amber started swinging through the trees like Tarzan. Martin looked back over his shoulder and saw another squirrel carrying Bugs and doing the same thing.

Soon they were far away from Kotir. The squirrels lowered Martin and Bugs down to the forest floor. Skipper and his otters came running to them. Bugs clasped Skipper's strong tattooed paws. "Hey, Skipper. You got here just in time."

"I wouldn't leave me old messmate in the lurch. Now who is this cove?" Skipper jerked his thumb at Martin.

"This is Martin the Warrior. He's my friend, y'know."

Skipper shook paws with Martin. "Ha, welcome aboard, Martin."

Pepe walked up to them. He had escaped the fortress. "I don't know why, but no one seems to like ze way I smell."

"Are there any vermin following you?" Amber asked.

"Not when I left, but I suppose Tsarmina could always send some after me."

"We need to get you back to Brockhall," Skipper said to Martin.

"I'll stay behind with my squirrels and fight off any soldiers who may be coming after us," said Amber.

Skipper saluted. "So be it. Good luck, marm." The otters led Martin and Bugs off into the woods.

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Tsarmina was furious that her captives had escaped. She would go after them as soon as she washed the skunk smell off her. "Draw me a bath immediately!" she commanded Fortunata.

"An ordinary bath with soap and water is no good when you've been sprayed by a skunk," said the fox. "I'll go fill a tub with tomato juice."

"Tomato juice! I have to take a bath in tomato juice?"

"I know it sounds crazy, but it's the only thing that'll get the stink out."

Tsarmina growled. "Fine. And while I'm taking my tomato juice bath, I want you to go down and fetch the Tasmanian Devil."

Fortunata recoiled with fright and distaste. "The Tasmanian Devil? I thought that horror had died years ago or gone away. You can't mean this. He's completely mad…"

"You want to see a mad beast, Fortunata? I'll be pretty mad if you don't move yourself! After I clean myself up, we're going after the mouse, and I'm taking Taz with me."


	7. Chapter 7

The evening chorus of birdsong fell sweetly upon Martin's ears as he strolled along through the woodlands with Skipper and Bugs, reveling in his newfound freedom after the long winter in Kotir prison. The otters were never still, they were as playful as puppies, bounding and cavorting through the trees and bushes. Skipper was instructing Martin in the art of the slingshot. He was delighted to have such a keen pupil and took every opportunity of amazing the warrior mouse with his expertise. Casting a pebble high into the air, Skipper re-slung a second pebble and shot it, hitting the first one before it had time to fall to earth. The otter shrugged modestly. "It's only tricks, me hearty. I can teach you them any time. Ha, I'll bet afore the summer's through you'll be able to sling a pebble across any villain's brows."

Martin enjoyed himself. Having been a solitary warrior for so long, he found it a pleasant change to be in the company of such gregarious friends. Skipper presented him with his own personal sling and pouch of throwing pebbles. He accepted the gift gratefully. The otters were naturally curious about the broken sword hilt Martin kept strung about his neck, so he told them the story, and was taken aback by their hatred of Tsarmina. Though, as Skipper remarked, "Wildcats never bothered us. Once our crew is together, there ain't nothin' on land or afloat that'll trouble otter folk."

Looking around at the strong, fierce otters, Martin could quite believe it.

They had come to a river now. "Take a good breath, messmate. We're goin' for a swim!" Skipper said.

"What…?" Without warning, Skipper grabbed Martin and dived into the river. Another otter named Root did the same to Bugs.

The whole world was black, icy cold, airless, and wet.

Martin concentrated on holding his breath. When he ventured to open his eyes, everything was a murky dark gray, but he could sometimes make out shapes moving around him. He began to wish he were anywhere but beneath a river- even back in his cell at Kotir. At least there had been air to breathe there.

Skipper's strong paws gripped him relentlessly by the scruff of his neck. Water rushed by them, roaring in his ears as the powerful swimming otter dragged him along.

Fresh air, just one breath, he wished, one lungful of good clean air.

Skipper held Martin tighter as he began to wriggle in panic. Bubbles of air were escaping from his mouth; an iron band was crushing his skull. Why was Skipper drowning him? Martin opened his mouth to shout, but the water came pouring in.

Next thing he knew, he was lying on some sand. "Here, he's comin' around now," a voice said. Martin coughed, and a fountain of water came spurting out of his mouth.

Skipper was pumping on Martin's chest, while Bugs stood over him concernedly. "Are you okay, Doc?"

Martin stood up. "I am now."

"Bless yer life, of course you are," Skipper chuckled. "Little thief, stealin' our river water like that."

"I bet ya lowered the water level by a foot or two," Bugs agreed. "Well, Martin, how d'ya like Camp Willow?"

Martin had not looked at his surroundings. Now that the danger was past, he took stock of where they had beached. They were standing on an underground bank. Phosphorescent roots above them illuminated the scene. Martin could see tunnels branching off in all directions. All around him otters were whooshing playfully in and out of the water, ducking one another and generally behaving as if the whole thing were a great lark.

Skipper watched proudly as Martin gazed about. "You won't find no better 'ccomodation for an otter anywhere, Martin. Camp Willow was built by otter paws."

Martin nodded shrewdly. "A right fine job they did of it too, Skipper."

Skipper swelled out his barrel like chest. "'Andsome of you to say so, mate, but belay awhile and I'll call muster."

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Tsarmina and Fortunata went down to the deepest, darkest dungeon in Kotir, accompanied by two weasels named Brogg and Scratt. They were going to fetch the Tasmanian Devil, a vicious beast who would eat anything that moved. Verdauga had captured Taz in Australia long ago and brought him back to Kotir.

Brogg opened the door of Taz's cell. Taz was chained to the wall in there. He was a squat brown marsupial with a heavy jaw and razor-sharp claws and teeth. He snarled and spat at the animals entering his cell, flailing his legs wildly. "Taz hungry!" he growled.

Tsarmina approached Taz. She had the broken blade of Martin's sword, and she held it in front of the monster's nose. She spoke almost tenderly. "Well, we're going to get you some food right now."

Taz sniffed the blade. It had Martin's scent all over it. "Taz smell mouse. Taz like mouse!"

"All right, then you can go out and get that mouse," Tsarmina said. "Does that sound good, boy?"

"She treats this monster better than anyone else," Fortunata thought to herself as she stepped forward with a leash in her paw. Gingerly she unfastened the manacles that held the Tasmanian Devil's arms to the wall. As soon as she did, Taz leaped on her and pinned her to the ground. The vixen screamed as his sharp teeth snapped just above her face.

But Brogg and Scratt pulled him off of her, and she managed to slip the collar around his neck. Then Taz was off like a shot, bounding out the door and up the stairs, dragging Fortunata behind him. She felt like her arm was being wrenched out of the socket.

Tsarmina hurried along after them. "So now the game begins!"


	8. Chapter 8

Amber and her squirrels were hiding in the trees outside of Kotir, bows and arrows at the ready. (Pepe le Pew had left to make his way back to Brockhall.)

All of a sudden, the Tasmanian Devil came roaring out of the gate, still dragging Fortunata behind him. Tsarmina and the soldiers were close on their heels.

"That's the ugliest looking rat I've ever seen," a squirrel named Brad whispered, looking down at Taz.

"Fire!" Lady Amber ordered.

The squirrels rained down a volley of arrows onto the Kotir soldiers. The vermin were taken by surprise at this attack from above.

With her catlike reflexes, Tsarmina grabbed the nearest soldier to her, a ferret. She felt the impact as the luckless soldier took the arrow to the head that was intended for her. "Down, get down and return fire!" she yelled.

Soon the vermin were sending a rain of arrows and spears back up at the squirrels. In the confusion, Fortunata lost her grip on Taz's leash, and he took off. He started leaping into the air, trying to catch and eat the squirrels. When he couldn't jump high enough to reach them, he started attacking the trees the squirrels were sitting in. His teeth were so powerful that he could actually gnaw right through the tree trunks and make holes in them.

Amber felt her tree shaking. She looked down and saw Taz biting the base of it. She didn't know if he could actually send the tree crashing to the ground, but the tide of battle was starting to turn in the enemy's favor and things weren't looking good. "We're losing troops! Retreat!"

The squirrels took off through the forest canopy. Amber brought up the rear. As the leader, she felt it was her duty to be the last to retreat.

But Tsarmina had an arrow notched to a bow, and as the squirrels withdrew, she fired off a shot that hit the departing Amber in the footpaw. The squirrel queen didn't even have time to cry out as she fell from the treetops and disappeared from sight.

Taz was still trying to eat trees. Fortunata approached him cautiously and took hold of his leash again. This time she tied it to her belt, thinking he wouldn't get away from her that way. Mistake.

She waved a paw at Ashleg. "Hey, look what I'm doing- AIEEE!" Taz had taken off again, and this time the fox had no way of controlling his movements. As Taz whirled around like a miniature tornado, Fortunata lost her balance and found herself being dragged on the ground in his wake.

Tsarmina ran after them as fast as she could. She wished she could stop to make sure Amber was really dead, but there was no time.

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Martin and Bugs were given rough bark cloths to dry themselves. They sat upon the bank of the underground stream with the otters, eating thick wedges of carrot and parsley bread, which they dunked in a streaming bowl of river shrimp and bulrush soup, seasoned with fiery hotroot pepper.

"A little hot, isn't it?" Martin commented.

Skipper winked. "Haha, don't taste no 'otter to an otter, matey!"

Bugs imitated Skipper's voice. "That's right, matey. The more 'otter it is, the more 'otter otters likes it."

"Hey, that's pretty good," Martin said. "You sounded just like him."

"Want me to do a mole, Doc? Ground be noice an' soft fur diggin', Oi'm a-thinkin'!"

Martin was holding his sides with laughter. "How do you do that? I could always understand molespeech, but I never learned to speak it!"

"I'm just naturally gifted, Doc."

The banter was cut short as a group of squirrels emerged from one of the underground tunnels that led up to the surface. They looked like they were in distress.

"Tsarmina's coming for you," a female named Tammy panted. "We held them off as long as we could, but there were too many of them. And they've got somethin' called a Tasmanian Devil with them."

Skipper wrinkled his brow. "What in jib booms is a Tasmanian Devil?"

"I know what it is." Bugs' voice was uncharacteristically serious. "It's a foul little monster from the land down under. They call him the Tasmanian Devil because he's got a devil of an appetite."

"What sorts of things does he eat?" Martin asked.

Bugs started counting on his fingers. "Mice. Rats. Bats. Dogs. Hogs. Elephants. Antelopes. Pheasants. Ferrets. Goats. Rabbits." Somehow, he had grown an eleventh finger. "It'd be easier to list the things he doesn't eat."

"Where's Lady Amber?" Skipper demanded.

"We don't know. She's disappeared," Tammy said.

"That's not good."

"This is all my fault for coming here and causing trouble for you," Martin said.

Skipper gave Martin a hearty clap on the back that nearly sent him head over tail. "Listen, mate, that big pussycat may 'ave a Tasmanian Devil, but us otters got a Stormfin."

"Stormfin?"

"Aye, Stormfin, matey. You come with me."


	9. Chapter 9

Skipper, Martin, and Bugs emerged out of a hole. They were standing by the riverbank.

"So if there are tunnels that lead to Camp Willow, why didn't you just take us through one of those instead of throwing us into the river?" Martin asked.

Skipper shrugged. "Going by water was quicker. Anyhow, you two start thumpin' that there log to call him, and I'll raise the sluicegate. Stay clear of the water's edge, though." He handed them each a cudgel.

There was a gate running across the riverbed, with small holes in it to let the water flow through. Skipper now raised this gate clear of the water as Martin and Bugs began banging a hollow log nearby.

A smooth wave rose. A long shape, like a section of tree trunk, smooth, with a many-spiked dorsal fin emerged. It was a pike.

"Look at the teeth on that fish. A regular dentist's nightmare," Bugs said. "So this is Stormfin, huh?"

"Aye, this is Stormfin, matey. Me and my brother Mask trapped him long ago." Skipper leaned forward and patted the giant fish's fin, causing it to lash its tail. The water boiled into a white foam as the otter leaped back laughing.

"I wouldn't like to cross that guy's path if I was out swimmin', would you Doc?" Bugs asked Martin.

"Pity there ain't more'n one Tasmanian Devil," Skipper said. "That pike has a terrible appetite."

They heard growling and whirring sounds in the distance.

"Ya know what they say, Doc. Speak of the Devil an' he appears."

Skipper patted Stormfin again. "Right then, ye old buccaneer. Don't eat him too quick, now; you'll make yourself sick."

Now Taz appeared in view. As he spun around madly, he chewed or bored through anything he came into contact with, whether trees, boulders, or shrubbery. His entire body was a weapon.

"Great seasons!" cried Martin. "I've never seen anything like that in all my life!"

Bugs pointed. "Say, isn't that Fortunata the fox tied to him?"

Skipper chuckled. "Not anymore. She just wiped out on a boulder and the rope snapped."

Taz suddenly stopped. He looked across the river and saw Martin. He recognized the mouse's scent. "Taz eat mouse now!" He dived right into the water.

Now Tsarmina and her soldiers were coming up. They ran alongside the bank, following Taz's progress and shouting excitedly.

"Look, he's after something. Hey Taz, eat an otter for me!"

"Don't eat 'em, kill 'em all, Taz! Rip them to bits!"

A ferret who had run ahead of the rest called back to his comrades, "Something's coming! I think it's the otters. No, wait, it's a big fish of some sort."

Swift chevrons of water rippled out to both sides of the bank as Stormfin sped downstream like a great arrow.

Taz thrashed the water as he swam upstream, feeling his prey getting near.

Closer and closer the monsters came towards each other. Taz lifted his snout clear of the water, sucking in a huge gasp of air. He saw the big fish approaching. "Taz like seafood!" he roared, and sailed into Stormfin like a tornado.

Taz and Stormfin started fighting each other in the water and it was hard to see what was happening. The surface boiled in a welter of cascading water, shimmering scales and ragged fur, the whole scene streaked with blood.

Soon they both sank beneath the surface. There was a long moment of silence.

Then Taz emerged and leaped onto Martin's side of the river. He had a gaping wound in his stomach, but this didn't faze him at all. "Taz eat mouse now!"

Before Martin could react, Stormfin came back to the attack! Driving low, hard, and fast, the pike shot out of the water and clamped his teeth on the Tasmanian Devil's hindquarters. Taz was dragged backward into the river. He grasped at thin air with his claws before sinking again, and this time he didn't come back up.

A loud burp came from under the water. The destroyer from Kotir was beaten. Stormfin had finally won!

"Guess he shoulda looked before he lunched!" Bugs laughed.

"This isn't over. We'll meet again!" Tsarmina yelled at Martin.

Martin fingered the sword hilt around his neck. "I'm looking forward to it."

Tsarmina raised a fist in the air. "I am Tsarmina, Queen of the Thousand Eyes. Before I am finished with Mossflower, every creature who defies me will wish that its mother had never given birth to it. The crying and the dying will be loud and long!"

Fortunata leaped forward. The vixen was thinking of ingratiating herself with her queen by adding a few words to the speech. "Thus speaks the mighty Tsarmina, ruler of all Mossfl…"

As Tsarmina turned from the river's edge she collided with the leaping fox. Their heads clashed painfully and they landed ungraciously in the mud of the shallows.

Skipper turned to Martin. "Come on. Let's get you back to Brockhall now."


	10. Chapter 10

All the woodlanders gathered at Brockhall to meet Martin.

Pepe embraced Martin warmly. "Ah, mon ami, it is good to see you made it back in one piece!"

"Welcome to Brockhall, matey," said Gonff, holding out his paw for Martin to shake. "Ben Stickle told me you gave a Kotir patrol a taste of your warrior skills single-pawed, before they managed to capture you. We could use more beasts like you around. They call me Gonff, the Prince of Mousethieves."

"Yeah, an' they never call him late to table," said Bugs.

Gonff pointed at himself innocently. "Who, me? I hardly ever touch food, matey. A crust an' a beaker o' water's good enough for me!"

Bella commented drily, "Lackaday, then it must be the birds eating all those pies an' pasties I'm forever baking. What d'you think, Gonff?"

"Must be," Gonff said with a straight face.

Everybeast went to the main hall to eat the dinner that Goody Stickle and Pepe le Pew had prepared. When they were all seated, Bella stood up at the head of the table and said, "As you can see, we have a new friend in our midst, Martin the Warrior. He and Bugs Bunny recently escaped from Kotir in a very brave and daring manner. Martin, do you have anything you want to say?"

Martin got up. "I wish to thank you from the bottom of my heart for allowing me to settle in your beautiful Mossflower country. I will do all I can to help free this land from the tyrant Tsarmina!" Everybeast cheered.

"With you on our side it shouldn't take more'n a couple o' days, eh, Doc?" Bugs called.

Martin had never tasted such delicious food in his life, not even when he visited Equestria that one time in my Redwall/My Little Pony crossover fic. There were roast chestnuts served with cream and honey, clover oatcakes dipped in hot redcurrant sauce, celery and herb cheese on acorn bread with chopped radishes, and a huge home baked seed and sweet barley cake with mint icing. "In the name of mice, I'd have been a cook and not a warrior if I knew food could taste this good," he muttered through a mouthful of cake and milk.

Gonff grinned, trying to answer through face crammed with chestnut, honey, and strawberry juice. "Mmmfff, shouldn' talk wiff y'mouff full."

In the middle of the feast, who should turn up but Lady Amber, none the worse for her ordeal!

Skipper was overjoyed to see her. "Amber, me old treeflyer, I knew you'd make it back alive! An army of vermin's no match for a queen of squirrels!"

Amber explained what had happened to her. "When I got hit with an arrow, I fell from the tree I was in and landed in some bushes. I didn't want to crawl away for fear of leavin' a blood trail, so I just slapped a good pawful o' mud on my footpaw to stop the bleedin' and lay waiting until the vermin had passed by. Then I made my way back here."

"You'd better let me take a look at your footpaw," said Brenda, a squirrel healer.

"I'm glad you're okay," Martin said to Amber. "I would have felt terrible if you'd gotten killed rescuing me."

"I'm glad you're okay too," she replied.

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Meanwhile, Tsarmina had called Fortunata, Ashleg, and Cludd to her private chamber. "I will hunt down that mouse, and I will kill him!" she declared.

"And we'll help you do it," said Cludd.

"But Martin would never have escaped if he hadn't been assisted by that hare, that… Toon!" Tsarmina spat. "There's nothing in this world I hate more than Toons."

"But wasn't your Tasmanian Devil a Toon too?" Fortunata pointed out.

"Shut up! Now, luckily, I have a way of dealing with Toons." Tsarmina went over to the corner of the room and pulled a sheet off a large barrel marked "DIP." Then she took a box out of her dresser drawer. She opened the box and inside was a cartoon shoe. It had a happy animated face and it was singing to itself.

"Stop that at once!" Tsarmina ordered. "Shoes don't sing!"

"Well, why shouldn't I sing?" the shoe said in a squeaky voice. "After all, I have a tongue!"

"This is why I hate Toons. They're always disobeying the rules of reality, and physics, and common sense!" Tsarmina picked the shoe up and walked over to the barrel of Dip. "Now watch closely, morons, and see what happens to Toons that defy me!"

She dropped the shoe into the barrel, and it was engulfed in the green liquid inside. The poor shoe had time for only one scream before it disintegrated.

Tsarmina grinned nastily. "When I get my paws on Bugs Bunny again, I'll do that to him! Now, I want you three to each take one third of our forces and scour the woodlands, looking for Martin and Bugs. When you've brought them back, I'll try them, convict them… and execute them."


	11. Chapter 11

The next morning, Martin attended his first Corim meeting.

"We need a good spy to keep us informed," Bella was saying. "If we know our enemies, we will know their weaknesses."

Bugs raised his paw. "I think I know a guy who'd be up for the job."

"And who would that be, yourself?" Lady Amber chuckled.

The hare shook his head. "No, I was actually thinkin' of a friend o' mine who lives in these woods. His name's Tweety Bird. Him an' me used ta be pals back in America. I recently found out he was livin' in Mossflower now. He flies all around the forest an' he can see everything that's goin' on. And he hates cats cause they're always tryin' to eat 'im. I'm sure he'd be glad to help us."

Objections flooded in.

"A bird? Why not one of our own?"

"This Tweety's not one of us; he'll want payment."

"Ah say, ah say, if we hafta use a bird, why not me, or Henry?" Foghorn Leghorn demanded.

"Well, you got wings, Doc, but they don't woik," Bugs said. "And Henry's huge. Tsarmina would see a giant chicken hawk comin' from a mile away. But Tweety's a little guy. He can fit right in the palm of my hand."

"Well, I think it's a good idea," said Martin. "What do you think, Bella?"

"From what you say, Bugs, it sounds as if no one could get closer to Kotir than Tweety. You can go and ask him if he wants to be a spy for us. If he wants payment, then so be it, we'll pay him," said Bella.

Bugs stood up. "Great! Tweety won't need much payment, but he does love candied chestnuts. Maybe we could give him a couple bags o' those."

That afternoon, Bugs went to see Tweety. Gonff and a mole called Billum went with him.

Gonff bounced a bag of chestnuts playfully between his paws. "Ha, candied chestnuts, eh, Billum? What's the good of giving these to some old bird, just for a skinny bit of spyin'? I'll bet me and you could scoff these between us and get their spyin' done for 'em easy enough."

Billum caught the bag in midair as Gonff tossed it. He crinkled his velvet face in a deep chuckle.

"Ho hurr hurr! Liddle wunner they send Oi t'keep watch on ee, you'm a villyen, Maister Gonff. Keepen ee paws outen ee chesknutters, or Oi tells Miz Bell offen ee."

Gonff threw up his paws in mock horror and ran to catch up with Bugs, complaining aloud. "The nerve of Billum! Fancy not trusting honest old Gonff- me, that was sent on this mission specially to keep an eye out for greedy moles. I'll bet I end up getting scragged by you lot, trying to keep those chestnuts safe. There's no room for an honest thief these days."

Bugs grinned, but held up his paw for silence. "Shh. This is Tweety's home." He pointed at a long dead elm covered in ivy. "We don't wanna scare 'im off. Let me do the talkin'."

He rapped on the trunk of the elm and shouted up toward a hole made by a broken branch, "Hey, Tweety Boid! C'mon out. It's me, Bugs Bunny."

There was no response. Bugs tried again. "C'mon, Tweety, we know you're in there. What's up, Doc? Don't ya want some candied chestnuts?"

Billum opened the bag and selected a large nut. "Harr, may'aps you were roight, Gonffen. Us'ns could ate chesknutters an' do ee job ourselfs."

The mole popped the dark sugar glazed nut into his mouth, licked the sweetness from his digging claws and chomped away with an expression of rapture on his homely face. "Umff, gurr, oo arr, mmmmm!"

Bugs and Gonff took chestnuts too and popped them into their own mouths, imitating perfectly the mole speech and gesture. "Hurr, oo arr, Billum, these yurr be furst clarss chesknutters."

"Hoo arr, that they be."

"I taut I taw somebody eating candied chestnuts!" a voice exclaimed from above. They looked up. A yellow bird was sitting in a nearby rowan tree. Tweety hadn't been inside his house at all!

"I did see somebody eating candied chestnuts!"

Gonff spat his nut out into his hand. "You can have this one back if you want."

"Ew, no. Why would I want dat when it's been in your mouth?"

Bugs got right down to business. "Glad ta see ya, Doc. Now listen, I need a favor from ya. I guess you know about all the trouble we've been havin' with Queen Tsarmina over in Kotir. We need to find out what she's up to, if she's makin' plans to attack us or anything like that."

"So ya want me ta go over there an' spy on da puddy tat for ya?" Tweety asked.

"That's right. If ya do it, we'll give ya one bag o' chestnuts now and another one after ya bring back your information. Whaddya say, Doc?"

"Hmm, I dunno. Queen Puddy Tat might eat me. Dat puts a certain amount of wisk on my espionage activities."

Gonff nodded in agreement. "I guess it does. Tell you what. If you get eaten, we'll double your fee. How about that?"

Tweety laughed. "If I got eaten, there'd be no need ta double my fee! But I'll help ya out anyway, cause you're my pal, Bugs."

"So we got a deal?" Bugs asked.

"Yeah, yeah, we got a deal. Gimme my nuts."

Bugs tossed the bag up to Tweety. As the three friends walked away, they could see the bird was already stuffing nuts in his beak.

"Burr, that burd sure loves puttin' nuts in his mouth," Billum observed.


	12. Chapter 12

Meanwhile, in the kitchen at Brockhall, Bella was talking to Martin.

"War is coming to Mossflower, Martin. I can feel it. Now that we are all at Brockhall, the defenseless ones are safer, but I listen to the voices at Corim meetings. The squirrels and otters are not satisfied with merely resisting Kotir's rule- they want to challenge it."

Martin felt the broken sword hanging around his neck. "Maybe that is no bad thing, Bella. Mossflower rightfully belongs to the woodlanders. I will do all I can to help my friends live without fear."

"I know you will, little warrior, but we are not strong enough. We have few who are trained in the art of war. If only we had a badger warrior among us."

"Well, we've got you. You're a badger, aren't you?" Martin said.

Bella got a sad, faraway look in her eyes. "I'm a thinking badger, not a fighting badger. No, what we need is a Badger Lord, like my father, Boar the Fighter. He was a mighty warrior."

"Well, what happened to him? Is he still alive?"

Bella shrugged. "Who knows? He followed his father, old Lord Brocktree, to go off questing. This was before Verdauga and his army arrived in Mossflower. My husband Barkstripe was slain in the first battle against the cats and my son Sunflash wandered off one day and was never heard of again. Now I'm the only badger left in Mossflower."

Just then Goody Stickle came in, rubbing her paws together anxiously. "Hey, Goody, why are you looking so worried?" Martin asked.

Goody fussed with her apron. "'Ave you seen ought of those two liddle 'ogs of mine, Ferdy and Coggs?"

"Ferdy and Coggs?" Bella shook her head. "No, Goody, I'm afraid we haven't. Is anything wrong?"

The hedgehog gnawed her lip. "Well, they ain't slept in their beds last night. Asides that, there's two oatcakes, a good wedge o' cheese, and some of my best blackcurrant cordial missin' from the larder."

"I wouldn't worry too much, Mrs. Stickle," Bella said. "They're probably somewhere nearby, pretending to be warriors like Martin. Knowing those two rascals, they'll be back by dinnertime for more food. Like new button mushrooms, they always turn up at a good meal."

Pepe le Pew and Foghorn appeared. "Bonjour, Madame Stickle, Monsieur Martin… and la belle Bella," Pepe said. "I 'ear zat Ferdy and Coggs are missing. We will 'elp you to look for zem, tout suite!"

"Yeah, Mon-seer an' I'll bring 'em back in no time at all," said Foghorn.

Goody knotted her apron strings anxiously. "Thank you, boys. Oh, I do 'ope they've come to no 'arm. I won't be 'appy until I see their mucky liddle snouts agin."

"Allons-y!" Pepe exclaimed.

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Tweety circled the crenellations of Kotir, looking in all the windows. He noticed something like a drain outlet down at the base of the castle wall. He flew down to investigate.

He saw iron bars on the hole and realized he was looking through a cell window. Gingivere was in the cell, sleeping.

"I taut I taw a puddy tat," Tweety said to himself. "But who's dis? It ain't Tsarmina."

He was about to fly away when Gingivere's eyes snapped open.

The cat jumped up and clutched the window bars. "Please don't fly away. I won't harm you. I'm a member of Birds Anonymous. My name is Gingivere."

Tweety cocked his head airily on one side. "You'll excuse my sayin' so, but ya don't appear ta be in any position ta harm me. What are ya doin' down dere, puddy tat?"

"I'm Tsarmina's brother. She killed our father and framed me so she could become queen."

"Gee, I'm weal sowwy ta hear dat. I gotta go now, but I'll drop by an' see ya anudder time."

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Goody, Pepe, and Foghorn searched Mossflower for Ferdy and Coggs. They came to a patch of open sward about halfway between Brockhall and Kotir, where they saw Cludd and a bunch of soldiers. And Ferdy and Coggs were there, gagged and trussed upside down to a couple of poles!

"We won't be returning to Kotir empty pawed," Cludd was saying. "Oh no, not us."

When she saw her children in danger, Goody could not control herself, and she rushed at Cludd. Before the weasel captain could see her, Goody butted him from behind with her head, sticking a lot of her spikes into him. Cludd screamed in pain.

"You thievin' varmint, give me back my Ferdy and Coggs or I'll spike you dead, so I will!"

"Seize her!" Cludd ordered while clutching his backside.

Foghorn stepped into the clearing, carrying Pepe le Pew. "Ah say, ah say, stand back! Ah've got a skunk, and ah'm not afraid to use it!"

But just then Fortunata and Ashleg stepped out from behind the trees. Each of them was holding a spray gun loaded with Dip. They fired off a couple of blasts at Foghorn and Pepe. The rooster and the skunk fell to the ground and started to disintegrate just like the cartoon shoe. They thrashed around in agony as they slowly melted.

Goody Stickle screamed in terror.


	13. Chapter 13

Later that evening, Bugs, Gonff, and Billum were making their way home when they saw a wounded creature lying on the ground. Gonff was the first to recognize her. "Tis Goody Stickle. She's hurt. What happened?" The hedgehog had a long, jagged wound running from the back of her ear to the tip of her paw.

"I dunno," Bugs said. "Look, she ain't even twitchin'. She's not rolled up in a ball."

"We'm must take 'er back to Brock'all," said Billum.

Gingerly they picked Goody up and carried her to the Corim headquarters, careful not to get pricked by her quills.

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"Who did this to her?" Ben Stickle demanded. Goody was propped up on a bed, with Brenda the squirrel healer ministering to her.

"We don't know," said Bugs. "We just found her like this."

Gonff was very upset. "Goody took me in after my parents were slain by Verdauga's soldiers. I've come to think of her as my mother."

"And what happened to Foghorn Leghorn and Pepe le Pew?" Martin wondered. "They were with her."

"And we still don't know where Ferdy and Coggs are," said Ben. He put his paw on Brenda's shoulder. "D'you think she'll live, Brenda?"

Brenda chuckled quietly. She cleaned the long ugly wound and applied a poultice of herbs. "No cause for alarm, Ben. Your wife is made of leather and needles."

"Made of leather and needles?" Ben exclaimed in alarm.

"It's an expression," the squirrel reassured him. "It means she's tough as a boulder. Look, she's beginning to come around already."

Sure enough, after some peculiar grunts and much curling and uncurling, Goody opened her eyes and looked about. "Oh, Ben. Ferdy and Coggs have been captured, and Pepe and Foghorn are dead!"

"What happened?" Ben cried.

"Well, I was out searching for the boys with Foghorn and Pepe. We finally found them tied up and surrounded by vermin. We tried to fight, but they sprayed something at the rooster and the skunk and killed them! I saw 'em go meself. It was 'orrible, screamin' an' kickin' they were! There was so many of the vermin that I couldn't do anything, I had to curl up. Then one of them had a go at me with a spear. Stabbed away at me, the devil did. They reckoned I was dead. Said I was too spiky to eat, so they dragged our sons off to Kotir and left me lying on the ground. By now Ferdy and Coggs are probably dead too!" She broke off into a sob.

Bugs tried to comfort her. "Hey, it may not be so bad. Maybe they're just holdin' 'em as prisoners. Shame about ol' Foggy an' Pepe, though."

"You said they sprayed something at them to kill them?" Bella asked Goody. "What could that have been?"

"I bet I know what it was," said Bugs. "Dip. I hoid about that stuff back when I lived in Toontown. It was invented by an evil guy named Judge Doom, and it's pretty much the only thing that can kill a Toon."

"So it could kill you," Martin said.

"Yeah, an' it could kill Tweety too. Now I wish I hadn't sent him over there to be a spy. But the Dip doesn't hurt non-Toons, so the rest of you will be fine." Bugs put on a brave face, but inwardly he was terrified.

Martin and Bella left the room together. Martin turned to her. "Bella, I have decided. I want to find Boar the Fighter and bring him back here."

Bella took hold of his paws. "Are you sure, Martin?"

"Yes. I will do it for you, and Bugs Bunny, and all my friends in Mossflower. Now, where did Boar the Fighter go questing?"

Bella answered with a single word: "Salamandastron!"


	14. Chapter 14

Next morning, Tweety brought news of Ferdy and Coggs to Brockhall.

"Da two liddle hedgehogs are still alive," he said. "But da puddy tat's got 'em locked up in da dungeons. I taw dem through a window. She's twying to get da location of Bwockhall out of dem."

Skipper slammed a paw against the hearth. "Mates, it doesn't bear thinkin' about, those two pore little fellers in the vermin's brig."

"Ya know, Tweety, ya don't have to keep goin' back there anymore," Bugs said. "Tsarmina's got Dip now. She could melt you into a puddle."

Tweety just giggled. "I'll be fine. She'll never catch me. I'm faster'n any puddy tat!"

"Okay, if you're sure."

"An' if I do get Dipped, I guess you can just double my fee again, huh?" Tweety flew off.

"What are we going to do?" Goody fretted.

Gonff was in no doubt at all. "We'll rescue little Ferdy and Coggs back straightaway. That's what we'll do, mateys!"

There was a roar of approval.

"Say, where did Martin an' Bella get to?" Bugs asked.

"They've been in Bella's study all morning, working on something," Gonff said.

"Let's go find 'em, Doc."

They found the study in a bit of a mess. Cupboards had been turned out and Bella's desk was emptied. Scrolls were all over the floor. Martin and Bella were searching the shelves for something.

"What's up, Doc?" Bugs greeted.

"We're looking for information on Salamandastron," Martin said.

Bugs whistled. "Boy, what a moniker. Who is this Salamandastron?"

"It's not a person, it's a place," Bella said. "A big mountain by the sea somewhere."

"An' why are ya tryin' to get the dope on it?"

"Because Bella's father, Boar the Fighter lives there," said Martin. "I'm going to go on a quest and bring him back here to help us fight Tsarmina."

Bugs rubbed his paws together. "Sounds good to me, Doc. When do we start?"

"You mean you want to come with me?"

"Course I do. How d'ya expect to go on a quest without an able-bodied assistant?"

"I'm coming too, matey," said Gonff. "You'll be a lot safer with a prince of thieves along."

Martin took each of their paws in his. "What good friends you are, both of you."

"So we're trying to find a map that leads to Salamandastron," Bella said. "There must be one somewhere around here, but these old scrolls are in a bit of a mess."

"We'll help ya look," Bugs said.

But even with Bugs and Gonff helping, they still couldn't find anything. They searched for several hours.

Martin banged his paw on the desktop in frustration. "If only we knew ex… oof!"

A secret drawer shot out from the desk, catching the warrior mouse heavily in his stomach. He sat down, surprised and winded.

Bugs pointed. "Look, there's somethin' in there."

Bella took the single yellowed parchment from the drawer and read its contents aloud.

"To the mountain of fire where badgers go,

The path is fraught with danger.

The way is long and hard and slow,

Through foe and hostile stranger.

The warrior's heart must never fail,

Or falter on his quest.

Those who live to turn the tale,

First must turn the crest."

Gonff looked bemused. "Is that all?"

Martin took the parchment and scanned it carefully on both sides. "Yes, that seems to be it."

Bella sat in her chair with an air of resignation. "Well, there doesn't appear to be much to go on."

Bugs tapped the parchment with his gloved hands. "It's a start, though. This here's a clue, maybe: 'Those who live to tell the tale, first must turn the crest.' Now, where is this crest an' how do we turn it?"

Bella pondered awhile. "I think it's talking about the Brockhall shield- that's the badger family crest. It takes the form of a shield with the great oak of Brockhall on one half and the stripes of a badger on the other. Beneath it is a scroll bearing our family motto, 'To serve at home or afar.' It hangs over the hearth in the main hall."

Martin waved his broken sword excitedly. "Well, come on, let's try it!"

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The crest over the hearth was carved into the top lintel of the wide fireplace.

"Are we just supposed to turn it like a doorknob?" Martin wondered.

"I dunno. Try it, Doc."

Martin tried, but it didn't move.

"Maybe you need to grease it up a bit," Gonff suggested. He pulled a piece of cheese out of his pocket and rubbed it around the edges of the crest. After a short interval he wiped his paws upon his jerkin and gave the crest a skillful twist. The entire crest started to move outward. A hollow wooden cylinder dropped out. When they opened it up, they found a scroll and some leaves inside.

Martin picked up one of the leaves. "Look, Bella. What do you suppose this means?"

The badger shrugged. "They're just old leaves. Let's see what the parchment says."

This is what it said:

"Boar is badger named after wood,

Not after forest but trees.

Where did you play on a rainy day?

Where did I eat bread and cheese?

Search inside, stay indoors,

Look up and find the secret is yours.

Your castle your fort,

Or so you thought.

The way is in four trees.

The way is in Boar in Brockhall

Under ale, under bread, under cheese."

Martin leaned back against the fireplace. "Phew! That's a right old riddle and no mistake."

"I recognize the handwriting," Bella said. "My grandfather, Lord Brocktree, must have written this for Boar to read."

Gonff repeated the first line. "Boar is badger named after wood. I never knew your father was named after a wood, Bella. If he'd been named after the wood, he'd be called Mossboar or Boarflower or Mossboarflower…"

Martin silenced the mousethief with a stern look. "Please, Gonff, we're supposed to be solving the riddle, not fooling about. The second line tells you that Boar is not named after the forest, but after the trees."

"Trees… leaves!" Bugs muttered.

Martin looked at him quizzically. "What are you on about?"

"These leaves can't be here just for decoration. They must mean somethin'."

"You're probably right, but what do they mean?"

Bella touched them lightly with her paw. "Well, let's see. There's four leaves here- an ash, an oak, a rowan and a beech. There's nothing written or sketched on them."

"Maybe you're supposed to arrange them in a certain pattern," Bugs suggested.

Martin took the leaves and started shuffling them around. "Ash, beech, rowan, oak; rowan, oak, beech, ash. I don't know."

Gonff smiled in a highly superior way. "Listen, matey, it's a good thing I'm a prince of leaf-puzzle solvers. Try this: beech, oak, ash, rowan!"

"Is this another one of your jokes, Gonff?" Bella asked, eying him sternly.

"No, it's one of Lord Brocktree's jokes! Beech, oak, ash, and rowan in that order, can't you see, it's the first letter of each one. B-O-A-R. That spells Boar!"

Bella shook his paw warmly. "You're right. Boar is badger, named after wood, not after forest but trees. He was literally named after four trees!"

Bugs pointed at the paper. "An' look at this line further down. 'Search inside, stay indoors.' That must mean the map is somewhere inside Brockhall; we don't hafta go out scouring the woods."

"But where indoors?" Martin scratched his head.

"Well, it says, 'Where did you play on a rainy day? Where did I eat bread and cheese?' We just gotta find where Boar the Fighter played on a rainy day while his dad was eatin'. Where would that have been, Miz Bella?"

"I don't know. It's hard to imagine my father playing."

"He must've played when he was a Dibbun," Gonff said.

"I wasn't even born then," said Bella. "And Father never talked too much about playing when he was little."

"Did he ever say where Lord Brocktree went to eat his bread and cheese?" Martin asked.

"Hmm, not really. I expect he ate it in the kitchen, like everybeast does."

"Say, why do you guys in Mossflower always say 'everybeast' instead of 'everyone'?" Bugs interjected. "I mean, ya don't start countin' by sayin' 'Beast, two, three, four,' do ya? Anyway, let's go to the kitchen."

When they went into the kitchen, Bella made a discovery. "Look, this table is made of beech, oak, ash, and rowan."

"Those same four trees again," Martin said. "That can't be a coincidence."

Bella got a far off look in her eyes. "I remember when I was a Dibbun, I used to play under this table myself. There was a big white tablecloth on it then. I would pretend it was my tent…"

It came to Martin like a flash. "Not Boar the Fighter, though. When he was a Dibbun, he'd probably pretend it was a fort or a castle. 'Your castle your fort, or so you thought.'" He scrambled underneath the table. "Ha, here's an odd thing. Underneath here is covered with a few pieces of chestnut bark. Pass me your knife, Gonff."

Martin worked away underneath the table, cutting the chestnut bark and tossing it out. The other three inspected each piece of bark for clues without success.

Bugs tossed a piece away in disgust. "Nuts! There ain't nothin' here!"

"There's something here though." Martin emerged from under the table with another scroll in his paws. "This was laid between the bark and the table. Look, it's covered with strange writing."

Bella took it from him. "This is the ancient badger language. Luckily, I know how to read it. Right, back to my study."


	15. Chapter 15

That evening, Tweety went to see Gingivere again. He found the cat prince hacking away at the wall of his cell with a metal spike.

"What are ya doing, puddy tat?"

Gingivere set the spike down. "I saw the guards put those two little hedgehogs in the cells on either side of me. I pried this spike out of my wall. I'm going to take a stone from a wall on each side, so they can crawl through and I can hide them in here. That way Tsarmina will think they have escaped."

"Good pwan. But what if ya get caught?"

"Nobeast will think of looking for them in my cell. After I get them inside I'll seal up the holes again. The only one who comes in here is the guard who brings me food once a day, and whenever he shows up, I can just hide them under the straw."

"Okay. But now da Cowim will weally hafta tink of how dey can wescue Ferdy an' Coggs. Good wuck!" Tweety flew away.

Soon, Gingivere had a rock loose. Digging and jiggling, he pulled and pushed until it slid out, aided by a shove from the prisoner on the other side. A small wet snout poked through.

"Hello, Coggs. It's me, Ferdy."

Gingivere smiled. He patted the snout encouragingly. "Sorry, old fellow, it's not Coggs. I'm Gingivere- a friend. Coggs is in the cell on the other side of me. You stay quiet and I'll see if I can get through to him."

"Thank you, Mr. Gingivere. Are you a wildcat?"

"Yes, I am, but no need to worry. I won't harm you. Hush now, little one, let me get on with my work."

Ferdy crawled through and watched Gingivere get to work on the other wall. It took a long time. Gingivere's paws were sore from grappling with the stone, chipping the mortar, and pulling this way and that until the rock finally gave and shifted. With Gingivere pulling from one side and Coggs pushing from the other, the wall stone plopped out onto the floor.

"Hello, Mr. Gingivere. I'm Coggs. Is Ferdy there?"

The wildcat shook the paw which protruded from the hole. "Yes, Coggs. He's right in here."

Coggs went through the hole into Gingivere's cell.

"Hi, Coggs," said Ferdy.

"Hi, Ferdy," said Coggs.

"Try and get some sleep now," said Gingivere. For the first time since he was thrown in jail, he smiled.

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"What we got so far, toots?" Bugs asked Bella.

"I've finished translating the scroll," she answered. "It was written by my ancestor, Lady Sable Brock. It seems she once found a goose named Olav Skyfurrow injured in Mossflower and tended his hurts. He repaid her by giving her directions to Salamandastron, in the form of a poem. Lady Sable Brock wrote down what he said word for word."

She read the whole thing out loud.

"Twixt earth and sky where birds can fly,

I look below to see

A place of wood with plumage green

That breezes move like sea.

Behind me as the dawn breaks clear,

Woodpigeons come awake,

See brown dust roll, twixt green and gold,

Unwinding like a snake.

O'er golden acres far below,

Our wings beat strong and true,

Where deep and wet, see flowing yet,

Another snake of blue.

Across the earth is changing shape,

With form and color deep,

Afar the teeth of land rise up,

To bite the wool of sheep.

Beyond this, much is lost in mist,

But here and there I see

The treachery of muddy gray,

'tis no place for the free.

O feathered brethren of the air,

Fly straight and do not fall,

Onward cross the wet gold flat,

Where seabirds wheel and call.

The skies are growing darker.

See our beacon shining bright.

Go high across the single fang

That burns into the night.

We leave you then as we wing on,

Our journey then must be

Where sky and water meet in line,

And suns drown in the sea."

Bugs chuckled. "Well, there's your map, Martin. Instead of bein' drawn on paper, it's written as a poem."

"Old wotsisname Skyfurrow was nearly as good a bard as me," Gonff said. "Bet he wasn't half as clever a thief, though, matey."

Martin shook his head. "I sure wish he'd explained it a little clearer. It's almost like he didn't want anybeast to find Salamandastron."

"Well, we can figure it out, Doc," Bugs said. "Olav Skyfurrow was describin' what he saw from up above as he flew over Mossflower. We just gotta imagine that we're boids, too."


	16. Chapter 16

Queen Amber perched on a tree branch, watching the dawn break over Mossflower. Her injured foot was much better now.

Her attention was arrested by a figure walking along the road. It was a strange fox, and he was heading right for Brockhall!

Amber notched an arrow to the bow she always carried with her and pointed it at the fox. "Stop right there and state your business, vermin!"

The fox did not seem unduly bothered by the arrow aimed at his chest. "Do you know a guy named Martin the Warrior? I heard he was living in this area now."

Amber's reply was abrupt. "Well, you can't see him! No doubt Tsarmina has sent you here to spy."

"Who is Tsarmina? I don't know a Tsarmina!"

"Spare me your mumbo jumbo, fox." Amber showed her teeth. "You've got till the count of three to sling your brush back up the road before I let daylight into you!"

The fox threw up his paws. "But I mean you no harm! Please, just let Martin see me. He'll tell me I can be trusted."

Amber hopped down from the tree. "All right. You can come along with me, but if you make one false move…" She left her sentence unfinished.

"Open ended threats are cool," the fox said.

Amber led the stranger to Brockhall, keeping her bowstring trained on him the whole time. She knocked on the door in the hollow oak, and Martin was the one who opened. To Amber's surprise, when Martin saw the fox, his face lit up, and he embraced him like an old friend.

"Skalrag!" Martin cried.

(For those of you who don't know, I once wrote a fic based on _Martin the Warrior_ that was a crossover between Redwall and My Little Pony, and in that story, Skalrag became a good guy and teamed up with Martin, instead of dying.)

"Hey, Martin," said Skalrag. "It's good to see you again."

"What brings you to Mossflower?" Martin asked.

"Well, I got bored living in Noonvale," the fox said. "Every day was the same. The same of nothing happenin'. So, I went searching for new adventures. I paid a visit to Princess Celestia in Equestria, and she told me you were living down in these parts now, so I decided to look you up."

"How are all our old friends? Brome and Grumm and Joshy?"

"They're doing fine. Brome's father has retired, so Brome is Chieftain now, and Grumm is as fat and happy as ever. Joshy Stag Hare actually left town a few weeks before I did- apparently he got an invitation to some special school where he could learn to control his magic better."

"Well, good. Come on in and we'll have some breakfast."

"So, this Skalrag really is a friend of yours?" Amber asked.

"Oh, yeah. He used to be evil, but he's not anymore. You can trust him."

"Well, if you say he can be trusted, Martin, that's good enough for me."

Martin introduced Skalrag to Bugs, Bella, and the rest of his friends. They told him about the trouble they were having with Tsarmina, and how she had kidnapped Ferdy and Coggs. Skalrag took their story in with interest.

"Say, maybe I can help you guys out," he said.

"How?" asked Bella.

"What if I went over to this Kotir castle and pretended to join up with Tsarmina? Then I could be your spy on the inside and pass you information about her battle plans and stuff. Maybe I could even find a way of freeing your friends. What do you think?"

"I think that's a good idea," Martin said. "You'd be like that otter, Keyla, who pretended to be on Nightmare Moon's side so he could free everybeast from Nightmare Fortress."

"I'll go over there today if you want me to," said Skalrag.

"It's a risky scheme, but I suppose you know that," said Bella.

A grin broke over Skalrag's face. "Life's not much fun for a fox without a bit of trouble."

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"So, I think I figured out the first part o' the rhyme, Doc," said Bugs, back in Bella's study a few minutes later. "Ya know how it says, 'Behind me as the dawn breaks clear, woodpigeons come awake'? Well, if the sun rises in the east an' the dawn was breakin' behind old Olav, then he musta been goin' west. So that's the way we gotta go."

Martin shook his paw. "Good thinking, Bugs! What's the next bit o' the poem?"

Gonff answered, "It says, 'See brown dust roll twixt green and gold, unwinding like a snake.'"

Bella nodded knowingly. "Aha, friend Olav gave me an easy one there. I know the very place. Between the woods and the flatlands south of Kotir, the road has a twist in it. I've walked down it many times and thought it was just like a snake trying to slough its skin."

Gonff shuddered at the mention of snake. "So, mateys, we walk through the woods, heading west, and cross the path below Kotir. Then there's only one way we can go. Straight out across the flatlands and the open plains, like the poem says, 'O'er the golden acres' to where the 'snake of blue' lies- brr, snakes."

"That's no snake, Gonff," Martin interrupted. "It's the same as Bella's winding road, but this one is blue- it's a river. What puzzles me is the teeth of land eating the wool of sheep line."

Bella stretched and yawned. "Woo! I think we must be going stale sitting around this dusty old room. Sheep and land, wool and teeth… Ah well, maybe we can't se the wood for the trees, but whatever it is, you'll know it when you see it. What do you want to do? Sit here half a season solving riddles, or follow the clues you already have and work the rest out as you go along?"

"She's right," Bugs said. "The supplies are packed an' ready and we have our wits to help us along. What more could we want?"

So, Martin, Bugs, and Gonff set out from Brockhall that very afternoon. Skalrag also went with them part of the way, but he separated from them when they got near Kotir.


	17. Chapter 17

Skalrag walked right up to Kotir. Some soldiers were coming in the gates and he just slipped in among them.

He went up to the dining hall, the same one where Martin and Bugs had jumped out the window, and sat down at a table.

"How did you get in here?" said a voice. Skalrag turned around and saw Fortunata.

He shrugged. "A bunch of guys were coming through the gate. I just walked through with them. Nobeast stopped me; nobeast asked me any questions. Did I do something wrong?"

Fortunata shook her head. "Not if you could get away with it. Nothing is wrong that you can get away with. The crime is in getting caught. Tell me where you are from, if you don't mind."

"Why should I mind? I have nothing to conceal. I am from the Eastern Coasts."

She nodded. "I was sure you were from some far country," she said. "You haven't told me your name. Mine is Fortunata."

"I'm Skalrag," said Skalrag. "I used to be a Captain under Badrang the Tyrant until he died. Ever hear of him?"

Fortunata hadn't, but she didn't want to appear ignorant. "Of course," she lied.

"I understand this new queen of yours thinks she's pretty hot stuff. I'd like to join her army. Can you get me in?"

"I can't make any promises that she'll let you join, but I'll take you to her," Fortunata replied.

She brought him to the throne room. Tsarmina and Cludd were there.

"Who is this?" Tsarmina demanded when she saw Skalrag. "He is not of our horde!"

"No, milady," Fortunata said. "He is not even from Mossflower, but he wishes to serve you. His name is Skalrag."

"Where are your credentials?" Cludd barked at Skalrag.

"I have none," Skalrag replied. "I am a stranger from the Eastern Coasts, seeking military service here."

"What! No credentials? You are probably a dog of a spy from the Corim!" Cludd bellowed. "This is what you need!" he yelled, and struck at Skalrag.

Skalrag dodged the blow and punched Cludd in the face, so that the weasel sprawled backward on the floor fully ten feet from the fox. "Don't ever try to hit me again," he said.

Tsarmina showed her great fangs in an approving smile. "Well, at last a real warrior. Welcome to Kotir, Skalrag. I'm sure you'll do well here. Cludd, get up off the floor and give this fox your Captain's cloak to wear. From now on you'll take orders from him."

Sullenly Cludd undid his cloak, flinging it to Skalrag.

A stoat stumped in. "Er, your Maj of the green Queenest, er upper of all ruler and lower Moss. Er, er… The prisoners have gone!"

"Gone! What do you mean, gone?" The wildcat Queen left her seat in a single bound and picked the stoat up by his throat.

"Yuuurrkkgghhaaaarrr… 'Scaped."

Tsarmina threw the gurgling heap to the floor. Her voice echoed in the stairway as she dashed down to the cells.

"Escaped? Impossible! Guards, get down to the cells quickly."

The cells were searched.

The corridors were scoured.

The outer walls were surrounded.

The parade ground was gone over inch by inch.

The barracks were turned inside out.

But they couldn't find Ferdy and Coggs anywhere. The only place they didn't look was inside Gingivere's cell, which was of course where the two hedgehogs actually were. Skalrag participated in the search with the rest, and made a great show of looking into all the passages and chambers, but he knew he wouldn't find them.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

While all this was going on, Scratch the weasel, Blacktooth the ferret, and Splitnose the stoat were out patrolling the woodlands. Scratch caught a glimpse of Martin, Bugs, and Gonff moving through the trees.

"Hey, you," he said to Splitnose.

"Don't say hey," said Splitnose.

"I'll say whatever I want," said Scratch. He slapped Splitnose's face.

Splitnose raised his paw to slap Scratch's face. Scratch ducked, and Splitnose slapped Blacktooth instead.

"Hey! What did I do?" cried Blacktooth. He punched Splitnose in the stomach.

Splitnose doubled over. "OOOFFF."

"Say, cut out the comedy!" Scratch growled. "Look over there." He pointed at Martin and his friends.

Splitnose grinned stupidly. "Ain't those the creatures Tsarmina was looking for? We could march 'em back to Kotir, hee-hee."

"Yeah, could you imagine old Cludd's face when we walk in with three prisoners?" said Blacktooth. "The Queen'd prob'ly make us Generals. Oho, I'd give that Cludd a few dirty jobs to do. I'd make him jump!"

"Right. Come on," Scratch said. They started following them.

Bugs glanced surreptitiously over his shoulder and saw the three vermin in the distance. "Hey, don't look now, Doc, but we're bein' followed," he whispered.

"I wouldn't worry," said Gonff. "I know those three. They couldn't hunt their way out of a shallow hole."

Martin said, "Maybe not, but I think we should treat them as enemies. That way we won't be caught off guard." He put on a burst of speed. "Come on, you two. We can lose those vermin afore eventide."

The three friends ran in silence, measuring their stride and conserving energy. All that could be heard above the drumming of their paws was a descending lark and the chirrup of grasshoppers in the dry grassland warmth. The high sun above watched the scene like a great golden eye. The hunted jogged steadily on, with the hunters rushing behind to close the gap.


	18. Chapter 18

Gonff trotted alongside his friends, his quick eye noting the landscape.

"It gets a bit hilly further on, mateys. We could drop down and hide in a dozen places. What d'you say? Shall we give 'em the slip?"

Martin glanced backward. "I'd rather not risk it. They've got us in plain view. No, best keep on until evening, then we can pick a good hiding place when it's dark and camp there the night. Are you all right, Bugs?"

Bugs wrinkled his nose. "Don't like runnin'. I like diggin' better. Wait, that gives me an idea!"

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Scratch stopped to extract a burr from his paw. Blacktooth and Splitnose ran slap bang into him from behind.

"Clodhoppers!" Scratch shouted. "How is it that you have all this open country to run in, yet you both manage to crash into me? What d'you think this is, a game of leapfrog?"

He turned back around to look at Martin and his friends in the distance, but they had disappeared!

"Where did they go?" Splitnose exclaimed.

If he had only known it, they were actually right beneath his feet. Bugs had dug a hole and they had all dived into it. Now Bugs was tunneling westward through the soil, creating a path for Martin and Gonff to follow. He could dig even faster than a mole.

"I tell ya, Doc, this is the only way to travel," he sighed. "I feel a lot safer under good old Terra Foima."

"Just as long as you don't take another one of your 'wrong turns at Albuquerque,'" Gonff chuckled.

But he didn't, and when they poked their heads up a few hours later, they saw a range of mountains up ahead. They were so tall their tops reached into the clouds.

"I reckon this is where 'the teeth of land rise up to bite the wool of sheep,'" said Martin. "To a bird, those mountains would look just like giant teeth biting the clouds."

"Aye," Gonff agreed. "They look quite close, but don't let that fool you. We've got a fair bit of travelling to do before we reach them."

"It's gettin' dark, guys," Bugs said. "I think we've lost those maroons now. Whaddya say we rest here for the night?"

"Good idea," said Martin. "We'll have some supper and sleep, then we can get a fresh start in the morning."

While Martin and Gonff took some oat scones and russet apples out of their packs, Bugs enlarged a small hole in the side of a hill. In a short while they were happily installed in a superb little cave. Bugs had even dug a ledge halfway round for them to rest on. The three friends lay on the ledge, eating their supper and watching the crimson underbellies of purple cloud rolls as night took over from the long, hot day.


	19. Chapter 19

Next morning Skalrag made his way down to Gingivere's cell. "My name's Skalrag," he said. "The Corim sent me to free you. Are the hedgehogs with you?"

Gingivere nodded. He had heard about Skalrag from Tweety and knew he could be trusted.

"Good. Then be ready tonight."

"Tonight?" Gingivere asked incredulously.

"Yeah, if I can swing it. I always like to get a job done as quick as possible. I've got to go now. Be ready tonight." He strode off.

Coggs poked his head out from under the straw. "Who was that, Mr. Gingivere? Was it a fox? Looked pretty evil, didn't he?"

"Aye, but apparently he's a friend of Martin the Warrior."

Ferdy poked his head up too. "Look at me, Mr. Gingivere. Do I look evil? I can, you know. All I do is shut one eye and pull my snout to the left, like this."

"By the fur, you're frightening the life out of me, Ferdy. Best leave your snout alone or it'll stick like that."

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Martin, Bugs, and Gonff were walking through a desert filled with sand and cactuses.

"Are you sure we're still going the right way, matey?" Gonff asked, pausing to mop his brow. "The poem never mentioned a desert."

Martin gestured at the mountains in the distance. "Well, we're still headed toward the teeth of land that rise up to bite the wool of sheep. As long as we can see them, I think we're on the right track."

"But I'm so hot 'n' dry you could make a blanket of me tongue," Gonff grumbled. "Hey Bugs, how can you stand this heat?"

Bugs wasn't bothered by the hot sun at all. "My long ears are protectin' me, doc. It's just like havin' a built-in hat."

"We need water."

"Okay, I'll show ya how to get water in the desert," Bugs said. He went up to a cactus and broke off one of the arms. Water came pouring out.

Martin and Gonff rushed to fill their flasks. "Wow, you are amazing, Bugs!" Martin said.

"All in a day's woik."

They set off again, but soon the sun was just too much for them.

"I can't… continue," Martin panted.

"Those mountains look like they're a thousand miles away," Gonff agreed.

Just then they heard a strange noise. Martin had never seen a truck, but that was what it sounded like. "Beep-beep!"

A funny looking blue bird was coming toward them. Instead of flying, he was running along the road. He made the noise again. "Beep-beep!" He screeched to a stop in front of the travelers and held out his claw to shake.

"Road Runner!" Bugs exclaimed, grasping the creature's hand in his. "What's up, Doc?"

"You sure do know a lot of birds, Bugs," said Gonff.

The Road Runner made more beeping sounds. Bugs was nodding his head as if he understood the bird's language. He turned back to his friends. "He says he's got a cave around here an' we can stay in there for the rest of the day. When night falls, it'll be cooler an' we can set out on our way again."

"Sounds good to me!" said Gonff.

"Okay, thanks, Road Runner!" said Martin.

Road Runner showed them to his cave, which was not far away. Then he raced off into the desert. The heat didn't bother him because he was used to it.

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The three vermin had also found the desert. Blacktooth and Splitnose were running ahead of Scratch after a particularly nasty bout of name calling. The stoat and ferret had called Scratch a frogwalloper, and this seemed to touch some hidden nerve in the weasel. The pair ran off, cackling gleefully as the weasel threw pebbles and sand after them.

"Come back here and say that, you cowardly custards. I'll give you frogwallopers when I get you!"

Just then Road Runner came out of nowhere and ran over all three of them. "Beep-beep!" he cried.

Blacktooth sat up. "Oh man, what was that?"

Scratch pointed. "Look, it's a bird. I bet he'd be mighty tasty!"

Splitnose was not so sure. "Er, don't you think he looks a bit big, Scratch?"

"So what?" the weasel snorted. "There's three of us and we've got spears. Plus, this bird can't fly away like others can."

As he spoke, Road Runner was headed back in their direction. Blacktooth flung his spear, but it fell far short.

Splitnose laughed scornfully. "Huh, you couldn't throw a frozen worm and hit the earth!" He threw his own spear, but Road Runner stepped to the side and stuck his tongue out at them.

"This isn't working," said Scratch. "We need to try something else." He saw a cliff a little way away with a boulder perched on top of it, and this gave him an idea. "Come on!"

The others recovered their spears and followed.

When they got to the top of the cliff, Scratch explained his plan. "When that bird comes this way, we'll push this rock down on him and crush him!" He jabbed the butt of his spear into the sand at the base of the boulder, loosening it.

Road Runner ran around in random directions for another hour, but finally he passed beneath the cliff.

Scratch rubbed his paws together. "All right, let's let 'im have it!" And he pulled his spear out of the ground.

But instead of falling over the cliff, the boulder rolled the opposite direction, down the slope, taking Scratch with it.

Splitnose and Blacktooth ran down after him. When they reached the bottom, they found the weasel stretched out flat as a piece of paper.

"Scratch! Scratch! Are you okay?"

"Come on, Scratchy-watchy, you old frogwalloper. Get up."

Slowly it dawned on them that Scratch wasn't going to get up.

"Argh! He's dead as a doornail."

"What are we gonna do now?" Splitnose asked. "I don't know the way back to Kotir, do you?"

"No."

They wandered aimlessly around the desert for the rest of the day, hungry, tired, and thirsty. Finally, as the sun set, they stumbled upon Road Runner's cave, where they found Martin, Bugs, and Gonff sleeping inside.

Blacktooth rubbed his paws together. "Splittie, I think our luck is finally changing."


	20. Chapter 20

"Right. We've got you. Don't try anything funny or we'll skewer this bunny!"

Martin opened his eyes. Blacktooth and Splitnose were standing over Bugs, their spearpoints at his throat. The warrior mouse was about to jump instinctively for them, but Bugs discouraged him.

"Better do like they say, Doc. They've got us surrounded."

Splitnose got a rope and tied Bugs, Martin and Gonff up with it. "Hey, that came out of my pack!" Martin said. "They're tying us up with my own rope!"

Blacktooth kicked him. "Quiet. You're our prisoners now. You'll pay for breaking the laws of Kotir and leading us on a wild goose chase. Be still!"

Splitnose was emptying the supply packs out. "Nyuck, nyuck, nyuck. Look, apples, bread, cheese, mmfff. Pie!"

"Did you say pie?" Blacktooth came over to him. "By the claw, that'll do for me!" He grabbed the pie.

"Hey, I saw it first!" Splitnose tried to snatch it back.

"Look at 'em," Gonff whispered. "Like birds fighting over a worm." He and Bugs started to smile, despite their situation.

"Here, then!" Blacktooth snarled, pushing the pie into Splitnose's face. Gonff and Bugs burst out laughing.

"Now spray him with seltzer!" Bugs shouted.

Splitnose waved his paw up and down in front of Blacktooth's face, then hit him on top of the head.

"That's the stuff, matey," Gonff called out encouragingly. "You show him that stoats are the bosses."

Blacktooth was about to quiet Gonff by stabbing him with his spear when Splitnose jabbed the ferret in the bottom with _his_ spear.

Martin took Blacktooth's side. "Don't let him do that to you, ferret. Get him."

Bugs supported Splitnose. "He's nothin' but a big ole bully. Jump on that ferret's tunnel, stoat."

Blacktooth cracked Splitnose across the head with his spear shaft. Splitnose retaliated by stabbing Blacktooth in the paw.

The three friends egged them on with loud shouts.

"You've got 'im now, Doc. Stab!"

"That's it. Keep him pinned down!"

"Get his throat with your teeth!"

Filled with blind rage, the stoat and ferret battled all over the cave, oblivious to everything except the desire to win.

"Grr, take that, stoat swine!"

"Argh, you won't push me around anymore, ferret face. Get this!"

Blacktooth fell, pierced by his opponent's spear. He died.

Splitnose dropped his weapon in horror. "Blackie, no. I didn't mean it! It was just a coincidence!"

His right eye started twitching. Then his right arm and leg started shaking uncontrollably. Suddenly he fell to the ground. Splitnose was having a stroke!

After a while he was still. "Is he dead?" Martin asked.

"As a doornail, Doc. Come on, let's set about thinkin' how to free ourselves."

Martin wrenched round to face Gonff. "Any ideas?"

Gonff smiled in the darkness. "Stay still. I can reach my dagger. Didn't I ever tell you, matey? I'm a prince of escapers."

"I thought you were the prince of thieves."

"I have many talents."

As the ropes fell away under Gonff's keen blade, Road Runner came into the cave. "Beep-beep?" he asked.

Bugs stood up. "Oh, we got into a little scrape, but we're okay now."

"Sorry about the mess," Martin said to the bird.

Road Runner's tongue darted out of his mouth and flicked across his lips. "Beep-beep!"

"He says he'll take care of the mess himself," Bugs translated. "Ya see, Road Runners are kinda like buzzards- when they find a dead animal, they…"

Martin threw up his paws. "I don't want to hear it. Let's go."

Bugs picked up the two spears. "Maybe we should take these along with us, just in case."

They stepped out into the desert night. "Good bye, and thank you!" they called to Road Runner, who waved his wing and called "Beep-beep!" back to them.


	21. Chapter 21

Inside Kotir, Skalrag made his way down to the cell areas with a dagger. Cludd was standing guard down there. "Right. Get your keys out," Skalrag said. "The queen wants a word with the traitor Gingivere."

"But Cap'n Skalrag, her majesty gave strict orders that he was never to be mentioned again, only fed and kept under lock and key. That's what she said."

"Well, she's the queen," Skalrag chuckled, patting the weasel's paw. "If she decides to change her mind, who are you and I to say different? Tell you what: you give me the keys. That way I'll take all the responsibility. You go and get your supper and have a game of shove acorn with your mates."

Cludd handed the keys over. "Thanks, Cap'n. Give me a call if you need help."

"I won't need help. I can take care of a crazy half-starved cat anytime, or my name ain't Skalrag."

Cludd pretended to leave, but he really slipped into an empty cell and commenced to spy on Skalrag.

Gingivere was ready with Ferdy and Coggs as the key grated in the lock.

"He's gone," Skalrag whispered, holding a paw to his muzzle. "Quickly, now. There's no time to lose. Gingivere, you walk in front of me, I'll have my dagger out as if I'm marching you to the queen's chamber. Ferdy, Coggs, get behind me, under my cloak, and keep as close to me as possible. Don't make a sound; your lives depend upon it."

They went up the stairs. Cludd followed a safe distance behind.

Skalrag led the prisoners out the castle door and across the courtyard. Quietly, he opened the gate and they all slipped out into Mossflower Woods.

Once the castle was out of sight, Skalrag said, "Okay, I think you're out of the danger zone now." Ferdy and Coggs stepped out from under his cloak.

But just then Cludd appeared from behind a tree. And he had a spear! "I knew you were a spy, Skalrag! I'll be taking my cloak back now."

Acting quickly, Skalrag knocked the spear out of Cludd's paw. "Gingivere, take the kids and run! I'll take care of this guy!"

Flexing his powerful limbs, he hurled himself like an uncoiling spring at the oncoming weasel. Disregarding weapons, the two creatures locked together on the ground, snarling and tearing at each other like savage beasts.

It was not too long before Cludd realized he was outmatched. He tried to pull free from the fox, but to no avail. His breath sobbed raggedly in his throat as he strained to reach his spear. Skalrag, aware of what Cludd was up to, squirmed over, rolling him in the opposite direction to the weapon. Suddenly Cludd grabbed a pawful of dirt and ground it into his opponent's eyes. Skalrag rolled off him, furiously trying to clear his vision. Seizing his chance, Cludd bounded up and snatched the spear.

Next thing Skalrag knew, he was pinned down. Cludd stood over him, spearpoint to his throat. "I'll send you to Hellgates!" he screeched.

Skalrag closed his eyes. _This is it_ , he thought.

Suddenly Cludd slumped over on top of him. Skalrag opened his eyes again. There was an otter javelin sticking in the weasel's back!

Skipper rolled Cludd's body off Skalrag. "Ahoy, matey. You did us proud back there."

Skalrag sat up, spitting out dirt. "Thanks. You showed up just in time. Are Gingivere, Ferdy, and Coggs safe?"

"Aye, Amber and me met up with them and she's guiding them back to Brockhall. I decided to go on and see if you needed any help."

"Well, I'm glad you did."

Skipper pulled the fox to his feet. "Come on, matey."

"Come where?" asked Skalrag.

"To Brockhall with me."

"Nothin' doin," said Skalrag. "I'm hooked up with this Tsarmina person now, an' I guess I'll stick. She's given me more of a run for my money in the last twenty-four hours than I've had since I parted from my dear old friend Lord Badrang."

"You don't mean to say you're going back to Kotir!" cried Skipper.

"Why not? I can still be a spy for you guys, can't I?"

"But Tsarmina will kill you with her own paws when she learns what has happened here."

"Listen, I can fix it so she'll never know I had anything to do with it. You run along, an' I'll beat it back to Kotir. So long, Bo!"

Skalrag carried Cludd's body back to Kotir. Ashleg met him at the gate. "What happened?" the pine marten asked.

"Get Tsarmina for me, will you?" Skalrag responded.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A few minutes later, Skalrag was standing before Tsarmina and Fortunata in the throne room. Tsarmina wasn't happy about being woken up.

"What is the meaning of this, fox?" she demanded.

"Your majesty, your brother has escaped!"

"Escaped! How?"

Skalrag shrugged. "I don't know. You see it happens like this: Claude, or Clyde, or whatever his name was…"

"Cludd," Fortunata interjected.

"Yeah, that's it. Cludd and I were outside when we saw Gingivere running through the gate. We chased after him and got as far as the river, when up jumps a bunch of otters who commenced takin' pot shots at us with sling stones. Must've been half a dozen of 'em! They killed Cludd, but I croaked the whole bloomin' six o' them. I tell you it was some scrap while it lasted. Gingivere got away in the confusion. It's too bad about losing Cludd, but leave it to me, we'll get even with those Corim guys yet. Just lead me to 'em."

Tsarmina stared at him for a while. Finally she said, "You have done well, Captain Skalrag. You are a fox after my own heart."

A half hour later Skalrag walked slowly back up to his room, and to say that he was puzzled would scarce have described his mental state.

"I can't quite make that dame out," he mused. "Either she's a mighty good loser or else she's a deep one who'll wait a year to get me the way she wants to get me."

And Tsarmina a few moments later was saying to Fortunata:

"I should have killed him, but it is seldom I find one with the courage and effrontery he possesses. Why think of it, Fortunata! He kills one of my men, and lets my prisoners escape, and then dares to come back and tell me about it when he might easily have gotten away. We can still use him, Fortunata, but we must watch him. Can I trust you to keep an eye on him?"

Fortunata nodded. "Aye, milady. Two eyes!"


	22. Chapter 22

As the sun came up, Martin could see that the mountains were much closer. They were out of the desert now and had just come to a bridge over a wide stream.

"After we cross this bridge, we can rest for a few hours," Martin said. "Then we'll set off on our way again." He stepped onto the bridge.

A shout rang out from the far bank. "Stop right there, strangers!"

A snake and a lizard emerged from behind the willow trunk.

Bugs called out a friendly hail. "What's up, Doc? We're only crossin' the bridge, no need t'be afraid."

The snake reared up, flickering a slim tongue. "Hiss. Nobody crosses without paying us. I'm Deathcoil and this is Whipscale. We are the ford guardians. Pay us, or pay with your lives."

"What've you got for us?" the lizard asked, his voice harsh and aggressive. "Come on, move yourselves. Up on the bank here, and empty those packs out. Quick, now!"

Martin's face was grim. He stepped back onto the bank and raised one of the spears they'd taken from the vermin. "Listen, you two. You don't frighten us. We're travelers and we aren't carrying anything of value, but we'll fight if we have to, so you'd better stand clear."

Bugs lifted the other spear. Gonff drew his dagger.

The reptiles slithered toward them. Deathcoil bared his fangs at Martin. "Hiss, you'll leave your bones on this bank, mouse!"

A fraction before both sides joined in combat there was a deep gruff shout from the reeds. "Arriba! Arriba!"

A small, ferocious mouse wearing a giant sombrero hurled himself roaring onto Deathcoil and Whipscale. He belabored them mercilessly with a heavy hornbeam club.

"What've I told you two filthy reptiles?" he shouted. "Get off my bank. Aqui, take this with you, and this, and this too!"

The snake and the lizard were thrashed into the stream.

"Ouch, ow, no, please, owoo, ooff!" they cried as they were carried off by the current.

The mouse turned to Martin and his friends. "Pair of nuisances, I've warned 'em before about threatening honest travelers. Hola, I'm Speedy Gonzales!"

Martin smiled. "Thank you, sir," he said warmly. "I am Martin the Warrior. This is Gonff the mousethief, and this is Bugs Bunny. We are travelers, bound on a quest to Salamandastron."

"Salamandastron, senor? Porque do you want to go to the place of dragons?"

"Dragons?" Gonff gulped. "Miss Bella never said anything about dragons! She just said the Badger Lord, Boar the Fighter, lived there."

"Well, I don't know about a Badger Lord," said Speedy. "I just know everybody around here says the mountain is inhabited by dragons. And the name Salamandastron means 'place of the fire lizard,' after all."

"Well, maybe they're friendly dragons, Doc," said Bugs.

"Do you live around here, Speedy?" Martin asked.

"Si. I live alone. I expect you're hungry; travelers always are. Follow me to mi casa and I'll get you some food. Quickly, quickly, quickly!" Speedy was off like a shot, racing across the bridge and along the opposite streambank.

"Runs pretty fast for a mouse, don't he?" Bugs said.

"Guess that's why they call him Speedy," said Gonff. "We better catch up with him."

Speedy led them at a breakneck pace to a small cave hewn into the bank. The travelers had to catch their breath, but Speedy wasn't tired at all.

Inside the cave was a nest of untidy odds and ends. Fishing nets draped the walls. A fire smoldered in one corner.

"I know it's not much of a place," Speedy said apologetically as he served steaming bowls of shrimp soup.

"I like it," Martin said. "Reminds me of home."

"Well, that's nice of you, amigo, but I wish I could take you to the place where I used to live. Loamhedge."

"Loamhedge?" Martin repeated.

"Si. Loamhedge Abbey was a great big castle where I lived with a bunch of other mice. We were very happy there, until the sickness came. Dry Ditch Fever. It was horrible. Everything it touched withered and died. We had to pack up our bags and leave. We wandered around for a few seasons, until one day we were invaded by sea rats who sailed inland. They took many of us captive and put us to the oars of their galley."

"Gee, that's too bad," Bugs said.

Martin nodded. He knew what it was like to be a slave. He had once been taken captive by the evil Lord Badrang and forced to work on his fortress.

"Some died there, including our leader Abbess Germaine, but I escaped," Speedy continued. "One night I slipped out of my chains and went overboard, just south of Salamandastron. I swam ashore. Do you see those mountains? Well, I couldn't cross them, so I walked around them. Eventually I found my way to this place- the Great South Stream."

"Well, I guess we'll have to walk around the mountains too if we want to get to Salamandastron," said Martin.

Speedy shook his head. "No ya won't, amigo. I'll be travelling with you, and we can take my boat!"

"Oh, you have a boat?" Gonff said.

Speedy dashed outside. "Si, senor! I'll show it to you! Quickly, quickly, quickly!"

The others followed him out to find a large, skillfully made boat moored by the water's edge. "I built this myself," Speedy said. "I named it the _Sylvaticus_ , after the first Abbess of Loamhedge."

Martin felt the sturdy polished hull. "It's beautifully crafted."

Speedy gestured to the stream. "This stream runs under the mountains and down to the sea. That's the shortest route to Salamandastron. I was afraid to make the journey by myself, but now I've got a crew!"

"So, I guess ya think the pirates are still hangin' around down there, an' you wanna go back an' save your pals from them?" Bugs asked.

Speedy nodded. "That's exactly right, amigo."

"Well, we'll be glad to help you free the Loamhedge mice if you help us get to Salamandastron and find Boar the Fighter," said Martin.

Speedy was so happy, he threw his sombrero up in the air. "Right! I'll get the mast and sail ready to rig up!"


	23. Chapter 23

Midafternoon on the waters of the Great South Stream saw the friends learning to handle the boat that Speedy had named _Sylvaticus_. Martin was taking a turn at the tiller under the Mexican mouse's guiding paw.

"Keep her downwind, muchacho," Speedy instructed. "Steady at the tiller there. Watch your larboard side, Martin. Bring the helm a point to starboard. Steady as she goes!"

"I don't understand what any of that means!" Martin cried.

Speedy shrugged. "Neither do I, amigo. I'm just trying to repeat all the things I've heard the sea rat captains say."

Bugs and Gonff were striding around the deck, trying to talk like pirates.

"Ahoy, Gonff matey. Tis a fair day on an even keel."

"Ahurr, Bugs me 'earty, coom an' set yurr midships an' drop anchor 'longside Oi!"

Bugs chuckled. "You're soundin' more like a mole than a rat, Doc."

Martin studied the stream carefully. The mountains tunneled over them now, blocking out the sky ahead.

"Speedy, have you noticed the current? It's very swift here and getting heavier. We're moving along a bit too fast for my liking."

"Si, I've noticed the stream is starting to take a steep downward course, Martin." Speedy looked worried but spoke calmly. "We're about to come into a tunnel."

As they entered the tunnel, the water began to get very choppy. Now they were under the mountains. Crested foamheads began appearing around rocks which stuck up like jagged teeth in the swirling flow. The little craft began to buck and tilt; water was splashing in heavily.

"Look out, Doc!" Bugs yelled suddenly. He pointed up ahead.

It turned out that the stream didn't go all the way through the mountains. Instead, it ended in a waterfall just a few feet in front of them.

"What do we do, Speedy?" Martin asked.

"Nothing. It's too late to stop." Speedy fell to his knees and started praying in Spanish.

In a mad torrent of boiling white water, they were hurled over the brink of the chasm. The boat hung for a second in space, then plunged into the abyss.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" they all yelled.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Next thing Martin knew, he was lying on the ground. "He's not dead. Bring medicine, medicine," a sibilant voice said.

The warrior mouse felt some vile tasting liquid being poured between his lips. He opened his eyes.

He was lying on a broad ledge, which was covered in velvety moss. Soft light cast flickering luminous water patterns around the rock face. His three friends were standing over him, along with two bats.

Martin sat up. "What happened?" he asked.

Speedy jerked a thumb over his shoulder. " _Sylvaticus_ went over the waterfall. After all the hard work I put in on her, she's completely wrecked!"

"Then these guys saved us," Bugs said.

"I am Rockhanger," said one of the bats. "This is Wingfold."

"Where are we?" asked Gonff. "Is this Salamandastron?"

Wingfold laughed. "No, this is Bat Mountpit. There's no Badger Lord here, only a Bat Lord!"

As Martin's eyes adjusted to the darkness, he could see they were in a big cavern with many ledges on which bats were perched. _Sylvaticus_ was smashed on the cavern floor.

An enormous bat flew over to them and said, "I am Lord Cayvear, High Chief of the dark places. Welcome, welcome."


	24. Chapter 24

Lord Cayvear showed them all around his domain. Bat Mountpit was large and impressive, with chasms, tunnels, streams, caves, waterfalls, and underground lakes, all inside the hollow mountain.

Then he took them back to his cave for dinner. There were some bat Dibbuns there who were Lord Cayvear's children.

"What kind of bats are you?" one of the children asked. "I've never seen bats without wings before."

Bugs laughed. "I guess I do fly through the earth when I'm diggin'. That's how I wore my wings out."

Cayvear walked up, balancing a tray of little cakes on his wing. "Eat, eat."

Martin took one and munched on it. "Pretty good. What's it made from?"

"Let's see. Oats, flour, sugar, butter, and I'm not exactly sure of the species of the insects…"

Martin spat out his mouthful of food with a great "FPOO!"

"Don't ya have anything else, Doc?" Bugs asked. "I mean, you're fruit bats, right? Don't ya eat fruit?"

Cayvear hung his head. "We have not been able to get fruit for a very long time."

"How come?"

"Because we have to leave Bat Mountpit and go outside to search for fresh fruit, and we haven't been able to get out for the past few weeks. The way is blocked."

"What is it blocked by?" Martin asked, thinking the bat was going to say an avalanche or something.

"A big bird, an owl!"

"But owls are nice birds!" Gonff said.

"Yes, most owls are nice, but this one is mean. He took up residence at the top of the mountain, right next to our entrance hole. Whenever bats so much as poke their heads out, he kills them. We don't know what to do. We've had predatory birds nest up here before, but we always went out at night, while they were asleep. But this bird stays up all night and sleeps during the day, like us bats!"

Martin drew himself up. "Well, your worries are over. We are all seasoned warriors, and we can deal with your bird problem."

"Si," said Speedy. "I've tangled with birds before."

"All right," said Lord Cayvear. "You can give it a try, but be careful. That owl's a real killer."

Martin, Bugs, Gonff, and Speedy went back to the wreckage of _Sylvaticus_ and salvaged their weapons. Martin and Bugs got their spears, Gonff got his dagger, and Speedy got his club.

Lord Cayvear led them up through the tunnels to the top of the mountain. The paths got steeper and steeper as they climbed higher. Finally, they came to a tunnel that led outside. Martin could see the moon shining through.

"This is as far as I go," said the Bat Lord. "Good luck." He flapped away.

With Martin in the lead, they crept up the tunnel into the outside world.

The four of them stood in the moonlight for a moment, looking around. The mountainside was dotted with gnarled trees and stunted bush.

Gonff took a few steps forward and tripped over something. He recoiled with disgust when he saw what it was. "Ugh! A bat skeleton!"

"Rukkudooh! What brings mice and a bunny to my mountain?" a voice called.

They all turned around. A big brown owl with a murderous beak was standing before them.

"It's not your mountain," Martin said boldly. "It's the bats' mountain!"

"It is my mountain now!"

Without warning, the owl lashed out with his talon, kicking Martin to the ground. At the same time, he spread his powerful wings, hitting Gonff with one hand and Bugs with the other, before they had a chance to react.

Moving quickly, Speedy hurled his club at the owl, knocking him down. That gave the others just enough time to jump up and scramble back down into the hole. Speedy dived in after them.

The owl was too big to follow them through the hole, so he just went and sat back down on his nest, but he didn't take his eyes off the entrance. "If they come out again, one peck and that'll be the end of them," he muttered.

"You really lived up to your name, Speedy," Gonff panted, down in the tunnel.

"We need a new plan," said Bugs. "We can't fight this boid. We have to outsmart 'im."

Martin recognized the gleam in his friend's eyes. "Have you got an idea, Bugs?"

"I sure do, Doc. Watch this."

Bugs started tunneling through the soil directly above his head. "I don't think that's such a good idea, amigo," Speedy whispered. "You'll bring the whole tunnel down on our heads."

Bugs paused in his work and looked down at Speedy. "Trust me, Doc, okay?" He went back to digging.

Soon he had made another hole to the surface. He poked his head out of the ground. He could see the night sky all around him.

The owl was sitting directly in front of Bugs, but he had his back turned to the bunny and was still keeping his eyes on the other hole. _What a maroon_ , Bugs thought.

He reached out and gave the nest a push. It started to slide down the mountainside!

"YAHOOHOOHOOHOO!" the owl screamed as he careened down the slope in his nest. His bed had essentially turned into a toboggan.

"Ain't I a stinker?" Bugs said.

At the bottom of the mountain, the nest hit a rock and the owl was catapulted out. He landed headfirst in a swamp.

"His technique was adequate, but that poor finish is gonna cost him," Bugs said as though he was an Olympic skiing judge. "I'd only give him three out of ten."


	25. Chapter 25

"The boid got invited to a sledding party, Doc," Bugs told Lord Cayvear when they returned to his cave. "He won't bother ya no more."

Cayvear fluttered up and down excitedly. "Thank you, thank you! Against that owl we were totally helpless, totally helpless."

Speedy offered some good advice. "What you ought to do, senor, is put a big wooden door across the entrance to your mountain and make a bunch of small holes in it. Then if any more birds try to roost, you can poke some sharp sticks up through the little holes and push them off."

"Okay, we will do that."

"I guess we'll sleep here the rest of the night and be off in the morning," said Martin. "Thanks for all your hospitality."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

In the morning they said goodbye to the bats and left. They went out through the tunnel and started walking down the mountain. The going proved not too difficult. They dug their paws into the loose scree and shale, half walking, half sliding.

"Does anyone remember the next part o' the rhyme?" Bugs asked.

Gonff quoted from memory.

"Beyond this, much is lost in mist,

But here and there I see

The treachery of muddy gray,

Tis no place for the free."

"That don't sound good," said Bugs.

"Well, I see the mist right enough," said Martin. "It's right below us." Sure enough, at the bottom of the mountain was a bed of thick white mist as far as the eye could see.

"We'd best keep our wits about us down there," Speedy warned.

It was midday when they finally reached the bottom. The mist was dense and high above their heads. It blocked out the sky, leaving the travelers in a world of swirling fog. Dark squelchy moss and slimy weeds carpeted the ground, dotted with wide areas of evil smelling fungus. Here and there small rivulets of water ran, as if trying to find a way out of this oppressive region.

Bugs gazed into the mist. "Say, is that somethin' movin' over there?"

They stopped to look. Speedy rubbed his eyes. "It might be. Then again, it might be the mist playing tricks. If you let your imagination run away with you, all sorts of shapes start popping up."

They leaned against a large humped rock to take their noon meal. Bugs broke off some bread. "I've got a funny feelin'. Have any of you ever had that feelin'? You know… that you was bein' watched?"

"Aye, I have that feeling myself-" Martin was interrupted as a net fell over his head! Then nets went over Bugs, Gonff, and Speedy's heads too! They were trapped!

Six huge toads leaped out from behind the rock. One toad poked a trident at them. "Krryoik glogflugg glumbatt. Caught four here!"

"I am Martin the Warrior," Martin called out. "These are my friends. Why have you done this to us? We mean you no harm. We are only travelers passing through. Turn us loose, please."

The toads turned to each other. They made unintelligible croaking noises, seeming to find the whole business highly amusing. Their leader jabbed warningly at the captives. "Krrrglug, yuk yuk! Quiet now, furmouse. Dampwatch say come now. Quickly, quickly, quickly!"

"Hey, that's my catchphrase!" Speedy squirmed with rage. "You're a bad toad, you are! No me gusta, I don't like you."

The prisoners were dragged unceremoniously along the muddy ground. The toads brought them to a huge fungus carved into the likeness of a high throne. A big green toad with a crown was sitting on it. Many other toads surrounded him. Whipscale the lizard and Deathcoil the snake were also in the crowd.

Dampwatch spread his webbed claw membranes. "Krrplok! See here, one hare, three mouses, Marshgreen say what?"

The toad king hopped down to the ground and looked the captives over. "Krrklok! Good find, Dampwatch. Furmouse make happy Marshgreen."

Martin decided that politeness was at an end. "See here Marshgreen, or whatever they call you. You've no right to treat us like this!"

"Yeah, let us go, ya filthy ole swamphopper!" Bugs shouted.

"Go boil your fat green bottom!" Gonff yelled.

Speedy shouted something in Spanish. The toads didn't understand it, but it sounded rude.

Marshgreen inflated his throat until it swelled like a balloon. His eyes bulged like button mushrooms.

"Splakkafrott! Shut mouths. Cheeky beasts. Take them, throw in Screamhole."

The company of toads waddled and hopped excitedly, brandishing their tridents. "Krrplakoggle! Screamhole, throw in Screamhole!"

The toads dragged Martin and his friends to a big hole in the ground. Marshgreen stepped up to the edge. "Krrpook! Snakefish feed well, Marshgreen bring you furmouses!"

All the toads chanted together, "Snakefish, mighty one, stay in Screamhole, eat up furmouses, leave alone toads!" Then they threw Martin and the others into the Screamhole.


	26. Chapter 26

They splashed paws first into muddy water almost to their middles. Squelching to a low ledge at one side, the four friends slumped down together.

Covered in sludge and mud, they lay waiting until the sounds of the toad guards retreated. Martin immediately jumped up and tried to scale the slippery clay sides of the pit, but slid back hopelessly, falling into the water with a splash.

A voice murmured from the darkness, "You're wasting time and strength trying to get out. Don't try again."

Martin leaped back up to his feet. "Who are you, what are you doing here?"

The surface of the dim water parted with a whooshing upheaval and a giant eel appeared. "I'm Snakefish," said the eel. "I was the champion toadscoffer in this part of the country, until they laid a trap for me and I fell in here. I can't get out now. Still, they keep me happy enough by slinging the odd enemy in here. The occasional fish, maybe a dead bird… passing travelers too, of course. I wallop the lot down, doesn't bother me. But one day I will find my way out of here. Then I will taste the toadflesh again."

"Does that mean you're going to eat us?" Gonff asked.

"Well, you can give it your best shot, hombre, but you'll find warrior mice don't go down easy!" Speedy proclaimed defiantly.

Snakefish hissed, revealing countless teeth, pure white and needlelike. "The only reason I haven't eaten you already is because I'm not hungry right now!"

"Why don't ya just climb outta here an' have a nice toad supper?" asked Bugs. "That's what ya really wanna do, isn't it, Doc?"

Snakefish reared up, pushing his coils against the smooth walls of Screamhole. There was no purchase for the great eel. He slid back into the water.

"See, I have given up trying," he said sadly. "Each attempt only makes these walls more smooth and slippery."

Bugs had the glimmer of an idea forming in his mind. He decided to risk broaching the matter. "Listen, Snakefish, I have a proposition to put to ya. Supposin' we helped you outta here, would ya leave us to go our way in peace without harming us?"

"If you could free me, I would leave you to go at liberty where you will," the eel promised. "I would rather eat toad than mouse or hare. Besides, I need to take my revenge on the tribe of Marshgreen. But you had better decide quickly; before the passing of another day I will need to eat. Do you understand me?"

Bugs replied for them all. "We understand poifectly, Doc."

Martin looked at him, surprised. "I suppose you must already have a plan in your mind, if you said that."

Gonff giggled nervously. "Better be a good one, or it'll be mouse and hare pie for dinner tomorrow."

Bugs explained his idea. "I was thinkin' I could burrow through the side of this cave."

"What good will that do?" said Snakefish. "Even if you succeeded, you'd just be caught and thrown back in here."

Bugs wagged a paw at him. "I ain't finished. The ocean's right near here, right?"

Snakefish was taken aback. "Of course. The ocean is my home, but I don't see…"

"What if I could dig a tunnel to the ocean an' let the water fill up this hole? Then you could just float to the top."

Snakefish wriggled with joy. "Can you really do that?"

"Can I do it? Listen, Doc, I got to England by tunnelin' all the way from America, an' I didn't even realize I was doin' it. This'll be a piece of cake."

Without wasting any more time, Bugs began burrowing into the cave wall with his powerful paws.

Up above, King Marshgreen and his toads waddled around their swamp, unaware of the tunnel being dug right beneath their feet.


	27. Chapter 27

Bugs had been gone for a few hours. Snakefish was getting impatient.

"Why doesn't your friend come back?" he demanded.

Martin shifted his paws nervously. "He'll be back eventually. He's probably still working on the tunnel."

"Bugs wouldn't abandon us," Gonff declared. "He's a creature of his word."

All of a sudden, they heard rushing water and Bugs shouting "Cowabunga, Doc!"

The sea came pouring through the tunnel Bugs had dug and into the Screamhole, taking Bugs with it. The water filled up the hole and then started flooding the entire swamp.

Martin felt like he was back under the river in Mossflower being towed along by Skipper again. Everything was pitch black and ice cold.

With a gasp, he thrust his head above the surface of the water. King Marshgreen's domain looked totally different now. The swamp had become a lake. Martin could see toads floundering in the water. (Of course, they wouldn't drown because they were amphibians.)

"Here, amigo. Take my paw!"

Martin turned to see Speedy, Bugs and Gonff riding on Snakefish's back like a surfboard. Speedy pulled Martin up there too.

"Thanks," Martin panted.

"Look up ahead, mateys," said Gonff.

In the distance, they could see sand and a big mountain with a column of fire spouting from its top.

Speedy whooped with joy. "That's Salamandastron!"

"Looks like our quest is almost at an end, huh?" said Bugs.

"I will take you to the shore," said Snakefish. "But first, a little detour."

A few yards away, Marshgreen's throne was floating on the water, and Marshgreen was trying to stay on top of it. When he saw the big eel, he screamed.

"Not kill Marshgreen!"

But Snakefish swam right at him and swallowed the toad in one gulp. A minute later, he burped, and Marshgreen's crown came flying out of his mouth.

"Mm, toadflesh." The eel licked his lips. "There's nothing like it."

Bugs made a face. "I'll take your woid for it, Doc."

Then Snakefish carried them all back to land. They all climbed off him and onto the sand. Gonff kissed the ground gratefully.

"Thank you for freeing me from the toad king's horrible trap," said Snakefish.

"Our pleasure," said Bugs.

With a flick of his tail, the eel was off, hunting for more toads to eat.

"It's always nice helpin' people," said Bugs. "Gives ya a warm fuzzy feelin' inside."

"The mountain's not far off," said Speedy. "We can reach it by tonight."

They started walking toward Salamandastron.


	28. Chapter 28

Marvin the Martian came down from the sky in his spaceship.

He was a funny looking little man, dressed in a kilt and helmet. Despite his goofy appearance, he was dangerous. By craft, guile, and murder he had crossed the boundless stars, seeking warmer climes and easier living.

Marvin was weary of living on his feet, always on the move. He was on the lookout for some fat prosperous little community where he could hold sway without much argument.

Then he spotted Kotir. "A grand ruin that's seen better days, but the possibilities are there," he said to himself. "Backed by woodland, fronted by flatland, practically skirting a road used by travelers- it's a dream come true!"

He parked his ship in the ditch by the roadside, out of sight. Then he got out and circled around Kotir to spy out the lie of the land. The more he saw of Kotir, the more he fancied it. "There will be no more freezing winters on Mars once I get control of this place!" he murmured excitedly.

Striding purposefully around the woodland edge at the south side, he practically bumped into Tsarmina. It would have been hard for a bystander to tell who was more surprised, the alien or the cat. As Tsarmina quickly nocked an arrow to the bow she was carrying, Marvin's hand shot down to the laser blaster in his belt. There was a moment's silence as they both stood still, gathering their wits. Finally, Marvin pointed toward the fortress.

"Whose place is this?"

"It is mine. Who are you?" Tsarmina demanded haughtily.

"They call me Marvin the Martian."

Tsarmina growled. She hated that name because it reminded her of Martin.

"I'm a fighter, but if there's an easier way of getting what I want I'll always try it," Marvin continued.

"Hmm, a fighter. My name is Tsarmina, Queen of the Thousand Eyes. That's my headquarters; it is called Kotir."

"Are you in need of fighters? I have sixty Instant Martians with me. My spaceship is parked in the ditch there."

"I don't trust Toons. Why should I trust you?"

"Ha, who trusts who these days?" Martin snorted. "I'm not particularly fond of cats."

"Tell you what," said Tsarmina. "You say you have threescore warriors at your command. What would be your terms if you came to serve Kotir?"

"Make me an offer."

"I'll do better than that. I'll make you a guarantee, Marvin," Tsarmina told the alien. "There are certain creatures- otters, squirrels, mice, hedgehogs… woodlanders. One time they used to serve my family, now they choose to live in Mossflower Woods and resist me. Once we have flushed them out of hiding together and enslaved them, then you can have an equal place alongside me. We will rule Mossflower jointly." This was a lie, of course.

Marvin took his hand off his blaster. "Done! I'll take you at your word." _Once we've conquered the woodlanders, I'll strap you to a rocket and send you up into space without a helmet. Then I can rule Mossflower alone_ , he thought.

"And I will take you at yours," Tsarmina replied. _If you give me any trouble, I've always got my vat of Dip_ , she thought.

Their untruthful eyes smiled falsely at each other.

The spaceship rose from the ditch and landed next to them. A hatch opened, and the Instant Martians stepped out. They looked like green birds with long necks.

Tsarmina led them all inside. When the Kotir soldiers saw the aliens, they were a little scared. Marvin cast scornful eyes over the ill-fed soldiers in their cumbersome livery.

Fortunata and Skalrag came up to Tsarmina. "Milady, who are these creatures?" Fortunata asked.

"This is Marvin the Martian. He has come to help us against the woodlanders. Now if you'll excuse me, we're going up to my room."

Tsarmina brought Marvin up to her chamber to talk about strategy. She listened to his ideas with respect; treachery could come later, but for now she gave the alien full credit as an experienced campaigner.

Marvin's plan was simple. "Don't give 'em an inch; show them you mean business; forget about subterfuge and spies- that only makes for prolonged war- strike hard and be ruthless. We have the superior number of trained fighters. Start tomorrow morning, have the full strength out in skirmish line, comb the forest thoroughly, kill any who resist and take the rest prisoner. It's the only way to get results, believe me."

"Bold words, Marvin," Tsarmina told him approvingly. "But have you tried fighting squirrel archers? They can vanish through the treetops as quick as you can think."

"Then burn the trees, or chop them down. I've seen it all before. If small creatures scurry down holes, then block them up, fill every possible exit. That's all they understand. You take my word, it works every time."

"Then we'll start tomorrow morning," Tsarmina said decisively.

"At first light!"

Outside, Skalrag had his ear pressed to the door. He had heard enough. This was bad news for his woodlander friends.

He raced to a windowsill, where Tweety was waiting. "Have dere been any new developments?" the bird asked.

"Yeah, bad ones. There's an alien from outer space at Kotir now. He's an expert fighter. He and Tsarmina are planning an ambush, as deep as they can get into Mossflower in one early morning march. Tomorrow, they plan to set out at dawn in a skirmish line, killing or capturing all before them."

"Dat's no good. I better go tell da Cowim leaders!"

Tweety flew to Brockhall as fast as he could.


	29. Chapter 29

The sun was setting, but the mountain of Salamandastron was burning bright above Martin and his friends.

"Whatever it is must burn continuously," Martin said. "D'you suppose it really is a fire lizard, Gonff?"

"I don't know, matey. I hope not!"

"Me neither, but one thing I do know," Speedy said, nodding toward the mountain. "That place is all that stands between sea rats and the land. They fear it and hate it."

"Then why don't they go around it?" Gonff asked.

"Because it's there, I suppose." Speedy shrugged. "It stands as a challenge."

"I'm starting to have the feelin' that we're bein' watched again, boys," Bugs said a few minutes later.

"I know what you mean," Gonff told him. "I can feel the hairs on my neck rising."

"D'you see that lump of something or other out by the tideline?" Speedy asked. "I could swear it moved a minute ago."

"Don't stare at it," Martin warned them. "Keep going. Shortly we'll make as if we're camping down for the night, but we won't really go to sleep. We'll just pretend to. Then we'll let whoever's watching us make their move."

They chose an open spot. They lit a small driftwood fire and lay around it, feeling very vulnerable.

Agonizing moments stretched away; still there was no sign of movement. The friends began to think that their suspicions had been groundless. Night had fallen and it was quite warm; there was not even a breeze to disturb the loose sand.

The fire burned lower.

Despite himself, Martin began to feel sleepy. He fought to keep his eyes open.

"Hey, are you guys hiding from the sea rats?" a voice said softly in his ear.

"No, we've come all the way from Mossf…" Martin answered in a dozy murmur.

He sprang up with a start. A girl bunny who looked like a female version of Bugs was lying next to him by the fire.

She giggled. "You should never all go asleep together in a strange country. Always have one person on guard; that way no one can sneak up on you, like I just did!"

"Yeah, I knew that…" Martin was feeling very angry with himself for letting his guard down.

Bugs took an immediate interest in the strange bunny. "Say, what's your name?"

"Lola. Lola Bunny."

Bugs held out his paw. "Pleased ta meet ya, Lola. My name's Bugs Bunny. This is our leader, Martin the Warrior. Here we have Gonff, the Prince of Mousethieves, with the latest addition to our little band, Speedy Gonzales, an excellent boat builder."

"Hello, matey," said Gonff.

"Hola," said Speedy.

Lola shook all of their paws. Then she sat down by the fire with them.

"This is nice and comfy," she said. "So where did you guys come from?"

Martin told her their story, right up to the escape from the toads.

"What about you?" he asked. "How do you come to be out here in the middle of nowhere next to a fire mountain?"

Lola jumped up. "Oh my gosh! I totally forgot! I was sent down here to lead you up the mountain!"

Gonff scratched his head. "Sent? Who sent you?"

"You'll see!" Lola winked.

Martin kicked sand on the fire to extinguish it. "Righto. Lead on, Lola."

As they started toward the mountain, Lola took out a strangely shaped shell. She blew into it, making a sound like a trumpet. The noise echoed across the shore.

A voice like thunder on a hot noon boomed out from somewhere inside the mountain. "Come in peace to the mountain of fire lizards!"

Hearing the gigantic sound effect, Gonff and Speedy started to tremble, but Lola seemed hardly to notice it. "Come on. In here," she said, pointing to a hole in the side of the mountain.

They followed her through a narrow passage until they came out in a big cave. There was a cord hanging from the ceiling. Lola tugged on it and a ladder came clattering down.

At the top of the ladder they found themselves in a broad upward-running passage hewn into the living rock. They walked up the steep incline, lit by torches at regular intervals in wall sconces. From somewhere above there was a steady roaring sound.

"What's that noise, senorita?" Speedy asked curiously, having to shout above the din. "Is it a dragon?"

"You're about to find out," Lola said.

Five flights of stairs, one more cave, and another steep corridor led them to their destination.

The very heart of Salamandastron!


	30. Chapter 30

They were in a huge mountain hall. At its center was a mighty furnace-like forge. A towering column of rockwork took it up to the ceiling, away out of sight. Surrounded by hares, there stood the father of all badgers. He was pure silver from tip to tail with a double broad creamy white stripe on either side of his forehead. As the badger stumped across to them, Martin could almost feel the reverberations through the rock floor. He towered above them, extending a calloused paw that resembled a chunk of rock.

"Welcome to Salamandastron, friends. I am Boar the Fighter," he boomed.

His paw enveloped by Boar's, Martin felt very tiny. Now the full impact of Bella's words came to him. Here indeed was one to save Mossflower; the silver badger looked as if he could tear Kotir to pieces with his paws.

"I am Martin the Warrior. This is Bugs Bunny, and these two are Gonff and Speedy Gonzales. I have traveled from Mossflower with my friends to bring a message from your daughter, Bella of Brockhall."

"All this I know," Boar said. "Come, let us go to my cave. It is more comfortable there. My hares will bring you food and drink, and you can clean yourselves up."

As they followed Boar, Gonff whispered to Martin.

"How does he know, matey? Is he a magic badger?"

"Shh," Martin silenced the mousethief. "Watch your manners. We'll get to know soon enough."

Boar's cave was indeed comfortable. There were ledges to sit or lie upon covered in velvety moss. Plants grew around the walls and hung from the ceiling. There was a rough rock table and a pool in one corner with steam rising from its surface.

"The pool is heated from my forge," Boar said, noticing their surprise. "You may bathe there later. You will observe that it is never cold here, again thanks to the forge. But please be seated. Here comes the food."

Lola and some other hares were bringing in new bread, fresh salad, baked fish, mint water and a selection of last autumn's fruits crystallized in honey. The four travelers ate like a regiment many times their number. Boar watched them with something approaching amusement on his gigantic face.

Bugs gave him a friendly wink. "So, the flames of the forge carry up that rock flue an' shoot out the top o' Salamandastron, eh, Doc? An' that's what makes people think there's dragons here?"

Boar winked back at Bugs. "You are a very perceptive little fellow, Bugs Bunny."

"So, there are no actual dragons?" Gonff asked.

"No. There used to be dragons here, centuries ago. But by the time the first badger lords came to the mountain, the dragons had all left for the land called Equestria."

Gonff breathed an audible sigh of relief.

As they ate and rested, Martin told Boar how he came to Kotir, the plight of the woodlanders, and Bella's plea for Boar to return to his birthright and free the land.

"So, you see, Mossflower has need of you, Boar," he concluded. "You must come back with us."

Boar shook his massive head. "I can't do that, Martin," he said sadly.

"Why not?"

Instead of answering Martin's question, Boar asked one of his own. "Did you say Tsarmina's father was Lord Verdauga Greeneyes?"

"Yes, but I don't see what that has to do with…"

"Did you know that Verdauga once had an older brother? His name was Ungatt Trunn. A long time ago, he came to Salamandastron with his evil army, the Blue Hordes. He tried to conquer this mountain, but my father Lord Brocktree fought him. And even though in the end Ungatt Trunn was defeated and slain, his second in command, a rat named Ripfang, survived."

"Ripfang- I know that name!" Speedy interrupted. "He was the pirate captain who held me and the other Loamhedge mice as slaves!"

"Then you know how terrible he is." Boar pointed seaward. "He's out there now. He's been sailing from north to south of here all spring, waiting his chance to attack Salamandastron. That is why I cannot leave. I would be leaving my mountain undefended."

"Then I guess we'll stay here and help you defeat Captain Ripfang," said Martin. "Afterwards, you can come back to Mossflower with us and reunite with your daughter."

Boar smiled. "If you're going to fight the sea rats, you'll need a proper weapon. If you give me that sword hilt around your neck, I can give it a new blade that will not be broken by anything."

"Sounds good to me," Martin said.


	31. Chapter 31

An hour before dawn, Skalrag was rubbing sleep from his eyes as he and Fortunata entered the Kotir barracks to wake up the soldiers. Skalrag did not relish the prospect of combat with the woodlanders. He did not want to kill them, but if he didn't participate in the battle, Tsarmina would doubt his loyalty, and his role as a spy would be jeopardized. Still, at least he and Tweety had managed to warn the Corim about the ambush.

"Come on, you lot," he ordered the troops, hiding his inner struggle. "It's invasion time."

Grumbling and protesting, the vermin sat up, scratching at their fur, wiping paws across eyes.

"Gaw! I was havin' a lovely dream there."

"Huh, me too. I dreamed we were getting a proper hot breakfast."

A hot breakfast sounded good to Skalrag too, but all he said was, "You'll be lucky, bucko. Bread and water, and be glad of it."

Fortunata kicked out at a huddled form wrapped in a blanket. "Come on, up on your paws!"

The figure leaped up. It was one of Marvin's aliens! It snarled at her and tried to bite her with its beak.

"My Instant Martians only take orders from me," said Marvin the Martian. Fortunata jumped. She hadn't heard him come in.

Out in the entrance hall, Tsarmina screeched, "Get out here double quick, or I'll come in there and move you myself!"

Weasels, stoats, ferrets, foxes, and aliens all came tumbling out, adjusting tunics, clattering shields on spears.

Marvin drew his laser pistol. "Right, you lot. Comb the woods, keep your eyes peeled and your wits about you. When we find them, remember: no mercy!"

The horde moved out into the courtyard. As the first half dozen soldiers passed through the doorway into the open, there was a harsh shout from the woodland fringe.

"Fire!"

A hiss of vicious weaponry cut the air. Vermin started falling in their tracks, cut down by arrows and javelins.

"Retreat, retreat, get back inside, quick!" Marvin ordered hastily.

There was panic as the back ranks coming forward stumbled into the front ranks retreating. More troops fell, transfixed by flying death.

"What's going on out there?" Tsarmina yelled at Marvin.

Marvin stood panting with his back to the wall. "They've got us bottled up in here."

"Who does?" she demanded.

"I can't tell."

"Ashleg!" Tsarmina called.

The pine marten came stumping up on his wooden leg. "Here, Milady."

"See what the position is out there. Pinpoint where they are and report back to me."

Ashleg didn't like it, but he did it. He lay down on his belly. Sliding around the doorposts, he scrambled out into the courtyard, tacking and weaving. Halfway across the courtyard, he bobbed up and down, checking the trees and scanning the low bushes through the open main gates.

"What d'you see?" Tsarmina's voice rang out.

Still lying flat, Ashleg raised his head as he shouted back, "Squirrels and otters. They've got the main gates open and they're shooting from the…"

An otter javelin closed his mouth forever.

Marvin poked his head out the door. A squirrel arrow bounced off his helmet. He pulled back swiftly as two more buried their points in the doorpost where his head had been.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Skipper crouched behind a bush and signaled to Lady Amber, who was perched on the low branches on an oak.

"Eleven down and plenty more to go," he reported.

Amber drew back her bowstring and let an arrow fly.

"Make it the round dozen, Skip!"

Grim faced and determined, the crews of both leaders tightened paws on bowstrings, slings, and javelins, waiting for the next head to show around the doorposts of Kotir fortress.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Inside the building, confusion followed the panic of the initial attack. Tsarmina dashed upstairs to her chamber, dashing back down again when a fusillade of arrows greeted her through the open window. Marvin sat at the foot of the stairs.

"Delays, delays!" he fumed. "Isn't there any other way out of here?"

"There's the scullery and larder entrance on the north side, but it's only a small door," Tsarmina said.

"It'll have to do. Let's give it a try."

At the scullery and larder entrance the door was shut tight with rusted bolts which took some considerable time to move. When it was finally opened, the troops hung about reluctantly. Nobody seemed very keen on dashing out to do battle.

"Get out there!" Tsarmina ordered. "Form a barrier of shields the way you've been trained to do!"

Three soldiers pushed their way out into the open, shields held up in front. A sling stone cracked the middle ferret on his paw. He yelped with pain, automatically dropping the shield. Arrows hissed in once more, reducing the ranks by a further three.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

High in a sycamore, a squirrel named Fender fired off an arrow. "How long d'you think we can keep this up, Shelley?" he asked the squirrel next to him.

Shelley rubbed beeswax on her bowstring before answering.

"Lady Amber says until noon, then it'll be too late for them to go invading Mossflower. Personally, I think we should encourage them to come out at noon, then we could follow them back and pick them off in the evening."

A squirrel named Sketch swung in through the branches. "Are you two all right for arrows?" he asked breathlessly. "Here's another quiver full. Give a call if you're running low."

He swung off to the next tree with his supplies.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Marvin the Martian tried every possible move, but at each new turn he was frustrated by the deadly accuracy of the woodlanders. Every exit tried, be it window or door, resulted in further loss of troops. The summer morning wore on, the high sun above impervious to the dead that littered the courtyard.

"Delays, delays!" he screamed again.

"Oh, burn them out, come down hard on them. That's what you said," Tsarmina sneered. "Your plan worked, but it was the woodlanders who used it! Idiot!"

"Idiot yourself!"

The two of them stood glaring at each other.

Skalrag came up with a suggestion. "Why don't we just shut the doors and ignore them? With nothing to shoot at, they'll have to leave."

"That's the first sensible idea I've heard all day," Tsarmina said.

So, they bolted all the doors and stood up tables on their ends to block the windows.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Skipper stood in the courtyard with Lady Amber. "Looks like a stalemate."

Amber shot an arrow at the closed front door. "Cowards! They're very brave ambushing defenseless woodlanders and killing unarmed creatures, but they can't face real warriors when it comes to a battle."

Skipper looked over the wall at Marvin's spaceship, which was still parked outside. "You know, we could claim that thing for ourselves as a spoil of war."

"I thought of that too, but none of us know how to drive it."

"You're right, me old branch jumper. Come on. Let's withdraw and get back to Brockhall."


	32. Chapter 32

Boar had brought Martin into his secret war room at the heart of the mountain, where he had computers and lasers and nuclears and an XBOX 360.

"Now I will show you how I knew about you before you came," he said. He turned on one of the computers and pulled up a website called . He typed "Bugs Bunny in Mossflower" into the search engine. "Take a look at this," he said.

Martin was astounded. It was a story all about him and Bugs. It told how they had escaped from Kotir together and journeyed to Salamandastron. "Who wrote this?"

"Somebeast called wweather. Nothing is known about him, but he has posted many stories on this website. Stories about you. Stories about my father, Lord Brocktree. Stories about the ponies in Equestria and lions in Africa. Even some stories that seem to take place in the future!"

"Does it say whether I defeat Tsarmina?"

Boar shook his head. "No, for this story we are in is not finished yet. Here, come with me and I'll show ye something else."

He led Martin over to another computer screen. This one had a camera on it which showed the ocean outside. A great black ship was sailing in toward land, getting closer and closer. At the tip of the prow was the bleached skull and fin of some large fish, standing out like a figurehead.

"Is that Ripfang's ship?" Martin asked.

"Aye, the _Bloodwake_. It should land on our shore this evening."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Bugs, Gonff and Speedy entered the main hall, where the Long Patrol hares were eating breakfast.

"What's up, Doc?" Bugs said as they approached a table occupied by three hares.

"I say, what a quaint accent!" said one of the hares.

"Are you American? Cool!" said the second.

"Do you want to sit with us?" said the third.

"Sure. My name's Bugs Bunny, an' this is Gonff an' Speedy."

The three hares introduced themselves too.

"Hello chaps. I'm Trubbs."

"I'm Wother. Capital W and an O, don't ya know."

"I'm Ffring. Double F, no E. Howja do."

Boar and Martin came in. Trubbs, Wother, and Ffring began giggling.

"Well, does he know about you know what, eh, Boar?"

"I say, let's show it to him now, Boar. Be a sport."

"Yes, otherwise the poor old bean might keel over with suspense."

Boar turned to Lola, who was sitting nearby. "What d'you think? Is he ready for this?"

Lola waggled her ears humorously. "I suppose so. Anyway, we'll soon find out."

"Find out what?" Martin asked.

Boar went over to the forge. "While you were sleeping last night, my hares and I worked until after dawn had broken," he said at last. "I have made something for you, Martin."

The warrior mouse felt the hairs rising on the back of his neck. He gulped with excitement as Boar continued.

"One night while out on patrol, Lola saw a star fall from the sky. She found the spot where it landed. A lump of hot metal was buried deep in the sand. When it cooled she dug it out and brought it back to me. Last night I put sea coal and charcoal in my forge; more than ever before, I made Salamandastron glow so hot that it could be seen in lands far across the sea. I had to- half the night had gone by before the metal became soft. I hammered it out, oiled it, folded it many times against itself on my anvil, all the time reciting the names of every great warrior I had known or could think of. I spoke your name on the final hammer blow. Here, Martin. This is yours."

He gave Martin something wrapped in cloth. Martin unwrapped it. "You fixed my sword for me!" he cried. "Thank you, Boar!"

"Gee, I'd almost forgotten about that thing," said Bugs.

Double edged, keener than a razor, it lay glittering and twinkling, a myriad of steady lights. Its tip was pointed like a mountain peak in midwinter.

Gonff whistled admiringly. "I'd like to see Tsarmina try to break it now."

Martin held the sword straight out in front of him, letting the point rise slightly to feel the heft of the weapon. Suddenly he began sweeping it in circles, up, down, and around. The steel blade whooshed and sang eerily on its own wind. The bystanders followed its every move as if hypnotized.

"At last, my right arm is complete again!" Martin roared out above the voice of the howling blade. "Tsarmina, can you hear me? I am Martin the Warrior. I am coming back to Mossflowerrrrrrrrrrr!"


	33. Chapter 33

Marvin had an idea.

"Now that the woodlanders have gone," he suggested cunningly, "why don't we all sneak out of Kotir and hide ourselves in the bushes at the edge of the forest? We could hide right behind the position they held this morning. That way, we'll be able to turn the ambush on them if they come back for another dawn attack."

"Hahaha, good idea," Skalrag chuckled encouragingly. He did think it was a good idea, but not for the same reason Marvin did. If all the soldiers left Kotir, maybe the Corim could sneak in and take the place over.

Tsarmina turned a frosty stare upon Skalrag. "Fool," she snarled. "Can't you see this alien only wants us out of Kotir so he and his raggedy green birds can slip in behind our backs?"

Marvin spread his hands disarmingly. "Ho-ho, if that's what you think…"

"Yes, that's exactly what I think!" Tsarmina snapped back.

Marvin shrugged. "Okay, how about this? You stay in here with your deadhead soldiers, and I'll take the Instant Martians out in my spaceship and search for the woodlanders. I'll see if I can find their headquarters."

Tsarmina sniffed. "That's a better idea. I'll agree to that, Marvin."

Marvin and his Martians flew around in their ship all night, but they never found anything at all. Brockhall was too well hidden.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Night had fallen over Salamandastron.

Boar, Martin, Bugs, Gonff, Speedy, and a regiment of hares climbed down onto the sand. "Come on, ye lucky lot, follow me," Boar said. "We're going to a party with some sea rats."

As they moved off, Gonff nudged Bugs. "What a happy badger. He seems to get merrier when he's closer to a battle."

"Wish I did, Doc," Bugs gulped. "My paws are tremblin'."

"I haven't got that trouble," Gonff giggled nervously. "Mine froze solid with fright some time ago."

Ripfang's ship was moored on the shore, but it appeared deserted.

Trubbs twitched his whiskers. "Don't like this at all, chums. Not one bit."

"I'll second that, laddie," said Wother.

"Thirds for me, old scout, wot?" agreed Ffring.

"The rats must be hiding somewhere," said Martin.

"Si, but I bet the slaves are still on board," said Speedy. "Permission to go aboard and try to rescue them, Lord?"

"Yes, you can go aboard and see if your friends are there," said Boar. "But it may be dangerous. You'd better take somebeast with you."

"Will you go with me, Bugs?" Speedy asked.

"Sure, Doc."

The two of them set off at a run.

Boar gave instructions to his hares. "Trubbs, you take the left. Harebell, around the mountain to the right. See if you can spot anything." Trubbs and Harebell obeyed.

They were back in a few minutes. "Boar, they're around the back of the mountain, hordes of them!"

"She's right. I saw 'em too, all skulking in the shadows."

Boar remained calm. "Hmm, Ripfang seems to be using his brains more and his mouth less these days. They must have dropped off further up the coast and come overland, circling to get behind us."

Lola gave a shout. "Look out! Here they come!"

From both sides of the mountain they filtered out in a swift pincer movement. Martin watched in silence as they formed a semicircle. He had never seen so many sea rats.

Villainous faces, wreathed by black headbands and adorned with brass earrings, snarled at them. Strange sickle shaped swords with small round shields were brandished high. Daggers and whips bristled where there were no swords.

Boar stood forward smiling hugely, leaning idly on his battle blade. "Well, well. The gang's all here. Where's old snot whiskers?"

"Here I am, Mountain Lord." A big rat with a single fang in the center of his mouth stepped out from the ranks. His fur was blue from head to toe.

"That dye still won't wash out after all these seasons, eh?" Boar said. He turned to Martin. "Ungatt Trunn made all his beasts paint themselves blue. That's why they were called the Blue Hordes."

"We have you surrounded and ready to die," Ripfang snarled.

Boar did not give the courtesy of a reply. He whirled his giant war sword aloft and charged with a thunderous battle cry.

"EULALIAAAAAA!"

Both sides surged forward, meeting with a crash of steel upon the churning sands.

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Bugs and Speedy entered the water and swam up to the ship. There was a rope ladder hanging from it. They climbed up to the deck.

There was only one rat left on board. "Ahoy, you two, what in the name of fishes are ye doing?" he evilled.

"We hoid that you've been whippin' slaves," Bugs said.

"Si, and we're going to put a stop to it!" said Speedy.

"I remember you," the rat said to Speedy. "You're that little mouse who escaped. Well, you won't take this ship while I'm on watch!" He drew a pistol. "Okay, you two. Walk that plank!"

Bugs walked to the end of the plank, but then he walked right back.

"What are you doin' back here?" the rat raged.

"I ran outta plank."

"You're supposed to walk off the end of it!"

"But I'll fall into the ocean! I might freeze to death, or drown! Or I might be eaten by sharks!"

"I KNOW! Get over that plank, or I'll shoot your mouse friend here!"

"Okay, Doc." Bugs walked to the end of the plank again, but instead of jumping, he bent down and peered into the water below.

"Come on! Quit stallin'! Jump!" the rat called.

"Oh look, a mermaid," Bugs said.

"A mermaid? There ain't no such thing as mermaids!"

"I'm tellin' ya, she's right there, Doc. She's half rat and half fish. Pretty, too."

"Let me take a look." The sea rat tucked his pistol into his belt and pushed past Bugs. He knelt at the edge of the plank. "I don't see nothing…"

Bugs gave him a push and he went into the sea. SPLASH!

The rat swam toward the rope ladder, but Speedy ran over and untied it so it fell into the water.

"What a maroon," said Bugs.

"Si, muy tonto," Speedy agreed. "Let's get down to the oar banks. Quickly, quickly, quickly!"


	34. Chapter 34

Martin felt the madness of combat searing through his veins. He leaped and struck, hacked and thrust, stabbed and slashed like a flash of hot summer lightning. Shields were shorn through by his flying blade. Sea rats went down before him like corn to a reaper.

The rats on the tideline had begun to move. Boar swung low at the feet of his enemies. As they jumped, he carried the sweep high, his immense war sword slicing through at head level. Blood-spattered, pierced by steel in a dozen different places, he fought on, oblivious to his wounds, trying to reach Ripfang, who stood at the back urging on his sea rats.

"Come to me, Ripfang," the silver badger chanted as he battled. "Meet Boar the Fighter. I am the son of Old Lord Brocktree, Chief of the Mountain. My blade is singing your death song. Let Boar take you and your vermin crew to the gates of Dark Forest this night. The summer sun cannot stand the sight of you darkening the earth!"

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In the galley of _Bloodwake_ , Speedy had found a file, and he was using it to cut through the oarslaves' chains. They were a mixed bunch. Besides the mice from Loamhedge, there were ragged shrews, bedraggled hedgehogs, and the odd gaunt squirrel among them.

"Speedy! It's me, Columbine!" a mousemaid shouted.

Speedy waved to her. "Hola. I'm back now. Told you I'd rescue you, didn't I?"

"You guys look like ya haven't seen daylight in seasons," said Bugs. "How could they treat you like this?"

"See if you can find them some food in the ship's kitchen, amigo," said Speedy.

Bugs discovered some biscuits in a pantry and started handing them out. Once all the animals on the ship had been freed and fed, Bugs and Speedy left the ship and headed back to the beach.

They found the shore piled and littered with dead and littered sea rats. The fighting had stopped now; it looked like any rats that had not been killed had run away.

Boar the Fighter was lying on his back on the sand. Martin, Gonff, and the hares were standing over him.

"What happened, Doc?" Bugs asked.

"I killed Ripfang," Boar said weakly. "But he shot me before he died. Got me right behind the davenport. Did you free the slaves?"

"Si, senor," said Speedy. "We captured the ship."

"Good. Martin, hold my head up so I can see my mountain one last time."

"Don't say that, sir," Martin said. "You're not gonna die. We'll take you back to Mossflower and you can see Bella again."

But Boar knew better. As Martin raised the badger's head up, his eyes closed forever. He had given up his life for his mountain and his friends.

Lola's eyes were brimming with tears. Bugs put his arm around her.


	35. Chapter 35

Breakfast at Salamandastron the next morning was a very quiet affair. Everybeast was happy that Ripfang had been defeated and the slaves were free, but they were also sad because Boar was dead.

"What are we going to do now, matey?" Gonff asked Martin. "We failed in our quest. We're not gonna be able to bring Boar back."

"I'll have to go back to Mossflower and fight Tsarmina myself," Martin told him.

"You won't have to do it by yourself," said Lola. "Boar the Fighter might be dead, but the Long Patrol is still here. We'll go back with you and help in any way we can."

Trubbs and company voiced their approval.

"Count me in, old chap."

"Rather, what ho!"

"Wouldn't miss it for the world, wot!"

"Martin, you and your amigos helped me save my amigos," said Speedy. "Now we will help you. Together we'll bring down the gringo pussycat!"

Martin looked at the circle of eager faces all around him. "I'm so lucky to have such good friends. Thank you."

"Ya know, we can ride Ripfang's ship back to Mossflower," said Bugs. "After the battle last night, I went back to the _Bloodwake_ an' got a map out of the cabin. It looks like if we sail north a piece, we'll come to a river that leads back into Mossflower."

"Good, that means we won't have to go through the hot desert again!" Gonff exclaimed.

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Back at Kotir, Tsarmina thought up a brilliant plan to kill the alien leader Marvin. She gave him an old cloak that had belonged to Ashleg and led him out into the courtyard.

"I want you to take a look at the front gates," she said. She pushed hard against them. "See, they're rocking on their hinges. Those woodlanders have been meddling with them, I'm sure of it."

Marvin gave the gates a kick. "Do you think so? They seem solid enough to me."

Tsarmina unbolted the locks. Opening the gates cautiously, she peered around them at the woodlands. It was safe.

"All clear out here, but I don't like it. I'm sure they've done something to those hinges from outside. Just think, if those gates blew down during the autumn, we'd be at their mercy."

"Huh, I don't know what you're fussing about," Marvin said, swirling Ashleg's cloak impatiently. "The gates look all right to me."

Tsarmina gnawed her lip. "Are you really sure, though?"

The alien sighed in expiration. "Oh, I suppose I'll have to go and take a look to keep you happy."

He strode briskly outside.

Tsarmina dodged inside, slamming the gates and bolting them.

Marvin was puzzled momentarily. "What's the matter with you, Tsarmina?"

There was no reply. Tsarmina was racing across the courtyard to watch from her high window.

Marvin began trying to climb the wall to get back in. Suddenly he heard a voice. "I want a chicken now!"

Henry Hawk came swooping down. He thought Marvin was Ashleg because he was wearing Ashleg's cloak.

"Who are you?" Marvin demanded.

"A guy who eats chickens!"

"Well, I'm no chicken. I'm a man from Mars."

"That's even better! That's something no hawk has EVER eaten before!"

Marvin tried to make a run for his spaceship, but Henry was too fast for him. The hawk struck the Martian hard from behind, burying his talons and beak in Marvin's back.

As he was lifted into the sky, Marvin pulled his laser pistol out of his belt and fired at Henry once, twice! Doggedly the chicken hawk sank talons and beak into his prey, beating the air with his wings as he did. Both hunter and quarry rose skyward.

Tsarmina at her window danced up and down in fiendish glee.

Far above Mossflower, Marvin gave a final shudder and went limp, his blaster falling from his hand. Henry's eyes shut as his great wings folded in death. Tsarmina watched as both creatures plunged earthward.

Two enemies defeated in a single brilliant stroke.

Later that day, she instructed Fortunata.

"Take Skalrag, and find the bodies of Marvin and the hawk."

"Yes, Milady. Shall I bring them back here?"

"No, Fortunata. Bury them."

"As you say, Milady."

"And bury Skalrag too. I think 'tis time for him to go. I'm sure he's the one that leaked the news of the ambush to the Corim yesterday."

Fortunata's expression was inscrutable as she replied once again, "Yes, Milady."

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Skalrag and Fortunata walked into the woods together. Skalrag had a shovel and Fortunata had a spear. They were still within sight of Kotir when they found the bodies.

"You're takin' me for a ride, aren't you?" Skalrag said.

"What do you mean?" Fortunata said.

"You're takin' me for a ride. A one-way ride. I bet as soon as I bend down to sink this shovel into the earth, you'll stick your spear into my back."

Fortunata smiled. "Nobeast can surprise you, can they, Skalrag. You're right. Queen Tsarmina ordered me to bring you out here and kill you." She dropped her spear. "But I'm not gonna do it."

Now Skalrag _was_ surprised. "Why not?"

"I've done a lot of nasty things on Tsarmina's orders. I even helped her kill her father. But I draw the line at killing another fox."

"Well, that's very noble of you. I've known plenty of foxes who wouldn't think twice about killing another fox."

Fortunata glanced nervously up at the fortress. "Tsarmina is probably watching us from her window. If I don't kill you, she'll kill me."

"So, what are we gonna do?"

"We've got to run. Now, while we've got a head start. It's the only chance we have."

They took off, running east.

Tweety heard everything from a tree. He flew to Brockhall to carry the news to the Corim.

"So that vixen had a tiny bit of good in her after all. Who would've thought it?" Amber said when she heard the story.

"Does this mean we won't see Mr. Skalrag again?" Ferdy asked.

Goody shook her head. "Doesn't sound like it. Mercy me, we never did get to thank him for rescuing you."

"Aye, or for warning us about the aliens," said Skipper. "I hope he makes it."

"And I hope Martin makes it back to Mossflower soon with my father, Boar the Fighter," said Bella.

As it turned out, Tsarmina _wasn't_ watching from her window, and she didn't notice Fortunata was missing for several hours. So, the two foxes got away. I don't know where they went, but they were never seen in Mossflower again.


	36. Chapter 36

_Bloodwake_ , now renamed _Woodship_ , was sailing down the River Moss. It was hard going, because they were sailing against the current.

All paws manned the oars. Gonff was sitting by Columbine, the pretty mouse from Loamhedge.

"Phew! I never realized rowing was such heavy work," Gonff groaned.

"Pull, my friend, pull. It's twice as bad when you have to do it on half-rations with a sea rat's whip cracking about your ears and you chained to the oar," said Columbine.

"I guess you're right."

"What's your name again?" she asked.

"Gonff."

"That's an interesting name."

"Yeah, it comes from gonif, the Yiddish word for thief."

Bugs was sitting on Columbine's other side. "Watch out for that fella, Columbine. He's not one of your Loamhedge order. If ya don't watch Gonff, he'll steal the whiskers out from under your nose."

Columbine's eyes went wide. "Would he really?"

Gonff held up two thin strands. "What do you think these are?"

Columbine's mouth fell open. "But, I didn't feel a thing."

Bugs chuckled. "I bet ya didn't! Those aren't your whiskers, they're Gonff's! That's how come ya never felt anythin'."

Speedy had been scouting ahead. Now he came running back down the bank and hopped back aboard. "I found a bunch of shrews camping up ahead," he said.

One of the freed slaves, a shrew named Banksnout, jumped up in excitement. "That must be the Guosim, my old tribe!"

"Let's go meet them," said Martin.

As the ship rounded a bend in the river, the camp of the Guerilla Union of Shrews in Mossflower came into view. Banksnout cupped his paws over his mouth and shouted, "Logalogalogalooog!"

"Logalogalogalooog!" an old fat shrew on the bank responded. He was the Log-a-Log, chief of the tribe.

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Delight awaited them at the shrew camp as families were reunited amidst cheering and shouting.

"Daddy, daddy, it's me, Emily, your baby shrewlet!"

"Ho-ho, look at you. You're bigger than your madre."

"Sharptail, you said you were going for acorns. That was four seasons ago! Where have you been?"

"Lo siento. Sea rats, y'know."

"What's this, grandshrew babies?"

"Si, you're an abuelo now."

"By the fur! Aqui, give me a hold of that little fat fella."

"Gluggabuggaluggoo!"

"Ha-ha. See, he knows me already."

Log-a-Log was grateful to Martin and his friends for saving his fellow shrews from captivity. He promised that he and the rest of the Guosim would journey back to Mossflower and help fight Tsarmina.

They spent the night with the shrews, and next morning, the _Woodship_ set off again, this time followed by a platoon of Guosim longboats.


	37. Chapter 37

A few days later, Martin, Bugs, and the rest were back in Mossflower.

"We're home again," said Bugs.

 _Woodship_ was anchored in the River Moss, and the Guosim shrews moored their boats. They all stepped out onto the bank.

"Brockhall must be somewhere near," said Martin.

"Martin. Hey there, Martin the Warrior!" a voice called.

Gingivere was running towards him, and there was another cat with him, a sleek reddish female.

Martin waved his paws joyfully. "Ha-ha, Gingivere, ye old rascal, who's your friend?"

The female cat smiled and waved back.

"Oh, you are just as I imagined you, Martin," she said warmly. "Gingivere has told me all about you. I'm Sandingomm."

"Look at me, Martin," Gingivere said. "Would you believe it, I'm a farmer now. Yes, me, Gingivere, son of Verdauga. We've got a nice little piece of land further up the bank and the fishing is good in this river."

"Guess it's true what they say about cats always landin' on their feet," Bugs chuckled.

"Though you certainly deserve this good fortune after all you've been through," Martin added. "Congratulations to you both."

Gingivere and his new wife led the mice, hares, and shrews back to their farm. They found Bella and Skipper waiting there.

"Skipper, ye old water walloper!" Gonff cried.

"Gonff, ye young pie bandit!" Skipper replied.

"Hello, Bella," Martin said. "Ahoy, it's me, Martin!" He ran up and gave her a hug.

Bella smiled fondly at the warrior mouse as she patted his back. "Martin the Warrior, welcome home. You've grown. You really look like a full-blooded warrior now. What a beautiful sword that is! Is my father here? Where's old Boar the Fighter?"

"Yeah… about that…"

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Martin told Bella and Skipper about his adventures, and they filled him in on everything that had happened while he'd been away.

When they were finished, Martin said, "Boar the Fighter cannot be here, but our force has been doubled by the numbers who have sailed back with us, and we have seasoned warriors with us now. I promise you that I will make an end of Tsarmina and all who follow her."

Bella was red-eyed with grief but calm and composed. "Tell us what you want us to do, Martin."

The warrior mouse was leaning on his sword. "Trust me, Mossflower will be saved. Bugs and I have been thinking of a plan…"


	38. Chapter 38

The next day Tsarmina was woken up by a weasel knocking on her door. "Milady, they're out there!"

"What are you yammering on about now, Brogg? Who's out there?"

"Woodlanders! Go and see for yourself!"

Tsarmina came bounding down wide awake. Recalling the last woodlander raid, she acted with caution. She poked her head around the castle doorway nervously, ready to pull back swiftly in case of arrows.

The main gates had been flung agape. Standing in the open with the dawn mist evaporating in the sun around them were a number of creatures. Mice, otters, squirrels, hedgehogs, hares, even shrews. Tsarmina recognized Martin immediately, also Bugs Bunny standing behind him. She curled her lip in scorn. "Escaped prisoners and woodland rebels, what do you want?"

"We are the leaders of the Corim come to deliver an ultimatum." The warrior mouse's voice was hard and clear.

Tsarmina's mind was racing. All the leaders here in one place; they must not be allowed to escape alive. "Get the archers," she whispered to Brogg. Out loud she said, "Well, here I am, speak your piece."

Martin pointed a paw at her. "Listen carefully to what I say, cat. You and your creatures have no right to tyrannize or try to enslave woodlanders. We are honest and free. Mossflower is our home."

"Ye insolent upstart!" Tsarmina laughed harshly. "I should have killed you when I had the chance. Do you realize who you are threatening? I am Tsarmina, Queen of the Thousand Eyes, Ruler of Mossflower."

Her adversary did not seem impressed. "I am Martin the Warrior, and I did not come here to make idle threats. This is what I have to say: leave this place by sunset today, take your army with you, go where you will, but stay clear of Mosslower and do not try to harm any woodlander."

Tsarmina glanced over her shoulder; she could see the archers standing inside the doorway.

"If I do as you say, what then?"

"You will be allowed to leave in peace and none of your creatures will be harmed. You have my word as a warrior."

Tsarmina shrugged. She held her paws open wide. "What happens if I choose not to leave?" she asked.

Martin's tone was like Boar's hammer striking the anvil. "You will die here, you and all your vermin. I will bring this evil place down on your heads. Again, you have my word as a warrior."

Tsarmina remained silent for a moment, as if considering both offers. When she spoke again her voice was flat and dangerous. "Big words for a little mouse. I will make no promises save one: you will all be slain where you stand."

At her signal a score of archers leaped forth, ready to fire.

She folded her paws, smiling sarcastically. "What do you say to that, little warrior?"

Martin stood like a rock, showing no trace of fear. "Then we will stay here and be killed by your arrows. But look behind me at the trees and on your outer wall. Every woodlander who can draw bowstring or throw javelin is aiming straight for your treacherous heart. You would not get a paw's length before you were sent to the gates of Dark Forest. So, carry on, cat. Tell your archers to fire. We will die so that Mossflower can be rid of you."

Tsarmina looked at all the animals with their weapons pointed at her. "Down bows!" she called urgently to her archers.

The soldiers pointed their bows to the ground, allowing the strings to slacken off.

The Corim leaders began walking backward out of the gateway.

Tsarmina extended a quivering claw. "This isn't where it finishes," she threatened. "Oh no, this is only the start."

Martin's response rang back at her. "Until sunset tonight. We will wait outside for your answer."

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Bugs stood in the shadow of a sycamore with Martin.

"Well, Doc, it's done now. We're all in it, win or lose. No second chances. You hoid the cat- this is only the start."

"She's planning something, Martin," Lady Amber said from up in the branches. "It's gone too quiet in there for my liking."

Martin looked up. "Mine, too. Tell the leaders to draw their companies back under cover. Let us wait and see what move she'll make."

Whispered orders went out, and the woodlanders moved back, blending into the green shade and mottled shadow. And just in time too. Tsarmina had led her soldiers out onto the roof of Kotir. They fired at the area where the woodlanders had been, but there was nobeast there anymore.

"Shouldn't we be firing a few arrows back?" Speedy asked.

Gonff shook his head. "No, matey. Waste of time. Too high. Besides, we'd give our position away to them. Let 'em waste more shafts awhile yet."

"Unless we could get high up in those trees on the north side," a squirrel named IQ said.

"Could you hit them from there?" Martin asked.

"What? Good squirrel archers? O' course we could, Martin."

The warrior mouse pondered. "Hmm, possible, I suppose. But we'd need something to decoy them into concentrating their fire over this way. Any ideas, Bugs?"

"Yeah, I got some ideas, Doc." Bugs smiled.

Up on the roof, Tsarmina waved her paw for the archers to cease fire. Some of them did not see her and kept shooting.

"Stop, that's enough, fools!" she shrieked. "Can't you see they're not there?"

Suddenly one of the Instant Martians started hopping up and down. "What are you doing?" Tsarmina demanded.

The alien bird pointed with his green wing down at the bushes at the wood's edge. They were shaking and rustling.

Tsarmina smiled with satisfaction. "So, we weren't just wasting arrows; some of them are hit. Over here, you lot. Give those bushes a good raking with arrows. I don't want anything left alive down there. Ready, fire!"

The shafts went through the bushes like a shower of rain.

Bugs and Lola sat some distance from the bushes. Well hidden, they tugged vigorously at lengths of rope that were attached to bush and branch.

Meanwhile, the squirrels had climbed up into the trees, and now they let fly a volley of arrows at the vermin on the roof, killing about twenty of them. Before the vermin could retaliate, the squirrels dropped back down to the ground.

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"Good decoy, Bugs," Lady Amber said. "We gave them something they won't forget in a hurry."

"Si, a clever strategy, but you must keep on trying to think one jump ahead of this Tsarmina. That cat is as cunning as any sea rat," Speedy warned.

Tweety came flying in. "I just hoid da puddy tat giving orders," he said.

"What was she saying?" Martin asked.

"Well, most of it wasn't fit for da ears of any decent cweature, but she's weft a token force on da roof and is taking da west downstairs."

Martin unsheathed his sword. "That may mean she intends coming out to make an attack on us."

"This is what I've been waiting for," said Trubbs. "We'll be there, old bean, pikin' away with our pikes."

"Rather. Done this sort of thing before, don't ya know," said Wother.

"Jab, thrust, and whatnot; all part of the game," said Ffring.

"I'll be right beside ya, Martin. Wouldn't miss it for nothin'," said Bugs. It was the first time Martin could recall the hare calling him by his actual name, instead of "Doc."

"I want no pitched battle or wholesale killing," Martin told everybeast firmly. "You must do just enough to defend our position. Lady Amber, keep squirrels high in the trees; have them take brushwood shields for protection."

Soon, the soldiers of Kotir came pouring out of the gates, led by Brogg the weasel. (Tsarmina had cravenly stayed behind up on the roof.)

"Troops charge! Death to the woodlanders!" Brogg yelled.

The rebels responded with battle cries of their own.

"Martin for Mossflower!"

"Eulalia! Blood and vinegar!"

"Logalogalogalog!"

Weapons clashed as the two sides met.

The vermin were surprised to find themselves outmatched. Otters were hitting them with sling stones and javelins, and squirrels were hitting them with arrows. The Long Patrol hares were causing devastation with their pikes, as well as the Guosim with their shrew rapiers.

Martin whirled his sword madly, striking down any weasel, stoat, ferret, or alien who came near him. Soon he found himself face to face with Brogg. Brogg swung a curved sword at Martin, but Martin's sword was sharper, and he brought it down on top of the weasel's weapon, cutting off the blade. Brogg backed up against a tree. Martin pointed the sword at his throat.

"Get back in there. Now!" The warrior mouse's voice snapped like a whip.

To Brogg's surprise, Martin lowered the sword. The weasel didn't waste any time dashing back inside the gates, shouting aloud, "Retreat, retreat! Back to Kotir!"

Skipper hefted a javelin, taking aim at Brogg, but Martin pushed the weapon aside.

"Enough, Skip. Let them go."

The vanquished troops fought tooth and claw among themselves to be first over the wall lest the warrior mouse change his mind.

Loamhedge mice moved in to help the wounded.

Skipper stood breathing heavily. "You should have let us finish it, Martin."

"No, Skipper," Martin said. "The only time I would have allowed that was if the cat had been here."

Gonff sheathed his fighting dagger. "Blow me, matey. We had them whipped there. Why did you let 'em go?"

Martin wiped his sword on the grass, staring at the slain of both sides strewing the woodland floor.

"To show them we are not evil," he said at last. "We only want what is ours, and now I think they know we're strong enough to get it. Could you not see, the fight is going out of those soldiers? They are beginning to look as though they need food. Their larders must be just about empty, and only the fear of their cruel queen keeps them going. Besides, when I put my plan in motion, Kotir will be truly broken and defeated until it is only a bad name to frighten little ones off to bed with in the seasons to come."

"Ya did right, Doc," said Bugs. "There's nothin' eviler than killing. I don't care whether they call it war or justice; life is precious."

There was no more fighting that day. Both sides halted to lick their wounds. Martin waited for sunset, whilst Tsarmina berated her soldiers as she tried to think up fresh schemes for victory.


	39. Chapter 39

It had been a hot afternoon. The sun started to redden against a dusky purple sky as Tsarmina ventured to stand at her high window. There were Martin and Bugs, standing on top of the castle wall. They had climbed up using a ladder that had been left behind by the vermin.

Tsarmina raked her claws against the window ledge in helpless fury. "What do you want, mouse?" As she asked the question, she was groping furiously for her bow and arrows.

"The sun is nearly set, Tsarmina," Martin said. "Remember the ultimatum I gave you this morning?"

The wildcat queen played for time as she fumbled with the bow beneath the window ledge.

"Tell me again, mouse. Refresh my memory."

"The message has not changed. There is still time for you to take your army out of here and leave us in peace," he said reasonably. "You will not be harmed if you leave before the sun is down."

An arrow came speeding through the air towards Martin. Luckily, it only hit the pouch of slingstones he carried at his side.

"I guess that's your answer, Doc," Bugs said.

Martin looked up at Tsarmina. "Then it is finished. I will bring this place down around you stone by stone. You will travel to the gates of Dark Forest."

Before Tsarmina had time to load another arrow, Martin and Bugs had climbed back down the ladder.

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The good ship _Woodship_ bobbed up and down on the surface of the River Moss. An otter named Bula lay crouched on the foredeck. She saw two dark shapes materialize silently from the trees by the bank.

"Who goes there?" she challenged them.

"Corim of Mossflower," came the reply.

"Advance and be recognized."

The two figures came forward, revealing themselves to be Bugs and Martin. "What's up, Doc?" Bugs asked.

"Not much. While you two were off fighting battles, I've been stuck aboard this ship all day."

"Sorry about that," Martin said. "But somebeast had to stay here and guard it."

"So, what happened to you two?" Bula asked.

"The cat ain't givin' in," Bugs said.

"Now it's time to put the second part of the plan into action," said Martin. "It involves this ship."

"What do we have to do?" asked Bula.

Bugs' reply was swift. "Sink 'er!"

Bula was taken by surprise. "You sure? This is a fine 'andsome vessel."

"Yep. Has to be done, Doc."

Martin and Bugs joined Bula aboard _Woodship_. The three of them went belowdecks and started opening all the portholes, letting water seep in. They hurried back up to the deck and hopped back to the bank.

Martin felt a little sad, watching the boat that had borne him back to Mossflowerdisappear below the water.

"Why did we do this again?" Bula asked.

"Well, it's simple, really," Bugs said. "Castle Kotir was built in a land depression- the area it stands on is a lot lower than the area around it. An' last winter I dug lots o' tunnels under Kotir, so me an' Gonff could get in an' steal stuff. Now, with _Woodship_ sinkin' under the river like this, the flow of the current will be blocked."

Bula got it now. "And it'll redirect itself through your tunnels and right under Kotir! They'll be flooded out!"

Bugs smiled. "Exactly."

Already, only the tops of the boat's stem, stern, and masts were showing above the water.

Bugs tapped his foot on the ground. "I can already feel it flowin' beneath us."

"It's a shame that we had to sacrifice _Woodship_ , but at least Tsarmina will get the greatest bath of her life tomorrow!" Martin said.

Bugs patted him on the shoulder. "I wouldn't worry about _Woodship_ , Doc. I bet ya when this is all over, that guy Skipper will find a way to pull it out an' refloat it. C'mon, let's go back to Brockhall."


	40. Chapter 40

"Your Highness, wake up! Wake up!"

Tsarmina opened her eyes. Brogg was pounding on her bedroom door again.

"This is the second morning in a row that you've disturbed my slumber, weasel," she snapped. "What is it this time? Are the woodlanders attacking again?"

"No, but the floor downstairs is wet!"

Tsarmina flung the door open, sending Brogg flying. "You woke me up for that? It's always wet downstairs."

Brogg shook his head. "Only in the cells and beneath them, not on ground level. Besides, it's summer, and there hasn't been a drop of rain since spring."

"Well, since I'm not going to be able to get back to sleep now, I might as well take a look."

They went down to the kitchen. Water was leaking up through the floor.

"It's up to our ankles now," Brogg said in surprise. "A minute ago, it was only covering the floor!"

Tsarmina touched the water with her paw. "But how? I mean, where has it all come from?"

Brogg waded across the room to the cellar door. "I'll ask the dungeon guards."

A flash of intuition came over Tsarmina. "Don't open that door!" she yelled. But it was too late. Brogg had already opened it.

Splash! A veritable tsunami poured up from the dungeons. Brogg was knocked backward and he fell and hit his head.

Luckily for Tsarmina, she was standing close to the stairs. She bounded up them just before the water reached them.

She ran to the entrance hall, but a quick look out the window showed that the water was outside too. She couldn't escape by going out the door.

Soldiers' voices were shouting everywhere.

"The parade ground's like a lake!"

"Bottom barracks is flooded!"

"The supplies will be ruined!"

Tsarmina pulled herself together and shouted an order to the troops. "To the roof! Quickly!"


	41. Chapter 41

Tsarmina stood on the roof of Kotir with all of her surviving weasels, stoats, ferrets, and Instant Martians. The land depression that Kotir sat in was completely flooded. Tsarmina could see the top of Marvin's spaceship disappearing beneath the water.

"We need to get out of here," said a weasel named Slinkback. "The flood is weakening the structural foundations of the building." As if to prove him right, the castle shook below them.

"But I can't swim!" Tsarmina was having a major freak out. "There's too many people up here! There's not enough room for all of us! Those alien birds have got to go!"

One of the alien birds was standing right next to her. She reached out her paw and pushed him over the edge. He sank below the water.

But a second later he popped back up! He lay there, bobbing on the surface of the water.

"Those things float, huh?" said Slinkback.

"Apparently they do," said Tsarmina.

They looked at each other. They both had the same idea.

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A few minutes later, the vermin were all in the water, using the aliens as life rafts. They held on with their paws and kicked with their feet. The Instant Martians didn't seem to mind.

But when they reached land, they were hauled to shore by the otters and Long Patrol hares.

Trubbs fished a stoat out of the water with a fierce looking pike. "Sit down there, ye great wet weasel."

"Steady on, Trubbs old chap, that's a stoat," said Harebell.

"Oh, I say, sorry. Sit there, you soaking stoat."

"Saturated stoat, don't you mean, old bean?"

"Hmm, what about the weasels?"

"Oh, actually, they get wringing wet, both begin with W, you see."

"Righto. Sit over there, you wringing wet weasel."

Lola was looking at an Instant Martian. "Gosh, I don't know what to call these guys."

Striding back and forth with his paws on his hips, Bugs Bunny addressed the defeated troops. "Okay, guys. Keep your paws on your heads where I can see 'em. Foist one to make a funny move goes straight back into that water, understood?"

Martin and Gonff were watching the proceedings. Gonff looked around. "That's funny, I don't see the cat anywhere, do you?"

Martin pointed. "There she is!"

She had paddled in the opposite direction from her soldiers and was now reaching the other side of the lake. Without another word, Martin dashed off after her.

Gonff ran after him. "Wait for me, matey!"

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Tsarmina paddled in to land and sprang ashore. With the last Instant Martian by her side, she watched the roof of Kotir vanish from view as it was swallowed up. She threw back her head in an anguished yowl.

"I have kept my promise to you, cat. Kotir has fallen!" a stern voice called out from behind her. "I am Martin the Warrior, son of Luke, friend of Boar the Fighter."

Tsarmina turned to face her foe. "So, it is you. Well, my little warrior, where are your woodland allies? Not here to help you?"

Gonff was by Martin's side. "He's not alone. He's got me."

"Oh, yes, that makes me feel so much more afraid," Tsarmina said sarcastically. "Facing two mice instead of just one."

Martin leaned upon his sword. Now that the moment had arrived, he felt only contempt. "Tsarmina, you are the queen of an underwater fortress, ruler of the fishes."

Stung by the scathing insult, Tsarmina gave a scream of rage, and dived straight upon Martin. Digging her claws into his back, she gave a mad yell of triumph, which was swiftly followed by a howl of pain as the keen blade slashed her ribs to the bone.

Gonff was about to help his friend when the Instant Martian let out a screech and flew at him. The alien picked Gonff up in its beak and flew into the air.

Locked in combat, Martin and Tsarmina strained and flailed at one another, the warrior mouse hacking at the wildcat queen, who gave back slash for thrust, bite for cut.

Her hide open in a dozen places, Tsarmina kicked out with her four paws, sending Martin flying.

Martin got back up. Crouching low with his sword held out in front, he advanced toward his foe, the red glitter of total war shining hot in his eyes, his teeth bared in a wild laugh.

Tsarmina's craven heart failed her. She started backing away from Martin, not realizing she was stepping right into the lake.

Water filled her world, dark, swirling, eddying, tugging, longing to fold her in its wet embrace, pulling her down, filling her mouth, nostrils, and finally her eyes.

Martin held his sword up. "Sleep in peace, Boar. Mossflower is free!"

The shining sword slipped from his grasp and he fell to the earth, a limp bundle.

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Meanwhile, Gonff was hanging from the Instant Martian's beak by the front of his shirt. He lashed out with his leg and managed to kick the creature in the chest, making drop him. He landed in a tree.

The strange bird was swooping down on him again. Gonff broke off a branch and waved it in front of him to protect itself. "Hey, listen, maybe we can talk things over."

But the Instant Martian didn't answer. It didn't seem to be able to speak.

Just as it was about to attack him again, the limb Gonff was standing on snapped. He fell into the one below it, but that broke too. One by one, he crashed through the rest of the branches, all the way to the ground.

He was covered with cuts and bruises. The Instant Martian flew down to the ground and stood over him.

Suddenly it fell down! To Gonff's surprise, the Instant Martian was writhing in pain on the forest floor, and its body was dissolving!

He looked up. Columbine, the pretty mouse from Loamhedge, was standing there, holding a Dip gun.

"Where did you get that?" he asked in astonishment.

"It was floating on the edge of the water. I think it came from inside the castle," Columbine said. "I saw you and Martin running after Tsarmina. I wanted to help, but that bird thing had taken you into the air before I could reach you. I just grabbed the first weapon that came to paw."

"Well, I'm glad you did, matey. You saved my life." Gonff tried to stand up, but couldn't. His legs collapsed under him.

Columbine bent over him and kissed his lips. It was the last thing he was aware of before he passed out.


	42. Chapter 42

"What's up, Doc?"

Martin opened his eyes and looked around. He was lying in a bed at Brockhall. Bugs was standing over him, and Gonff was sitting on a bed next to him, with a cast on his leg.

"So, you're awake, mate," said Gonff. "The healer mice from Loamhedge said it'd be sometime today."

"How did your leg get broken?" Martin asked.

"It's a long story."

Bugs broke in. "We beat 'em, Doc! We won!" he cried. "Mossflower is safe."

More woodlanders came in.

"Look, Martin's awake now!" said Amber.

"My, my, doesn't he look well!" said Goody Stickle.

"Urr, loively as pepper 'n' strong as ale," said Billum the mole.

"Hola, amigo!" said Speedy.

"Ha-ha, ahoy there, shipmate," said Skipper.

"Well, how do you feel, Champion of Mossflower?" Bella chuckled happily.

Martin gazed about him at the friendly faces and smiled through the tears falling from his eyes.

"Good to be alive, Bella!"

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A few days later, Martin was up on his feet again. Mossflower was at peace now. Tsarmina was dead, and Martin had been told that the surviving vermin and aliens had all been banished from the woodlands. Now, he and Speedy Gonzales were standing at the edge of the lake where Kotir had once been.

"You know, Martin, I've been thinking," said Speedy.

"About what?"

"While you were unconscious, I did some exploring over by Gingivere's farm. I found a big quarry nearby, full of rocas rojas, red stones."

"That's probably where they got the stones to build Kotir," Martin said.

"Right. I was thinking maybe we could collect some stones from there and use them to build another big castle where we could all live together. It could be like Loamhedge, but even better."

Martin smiled. "Sounds good to me."

And so that's just what they did. It took many seasons to build the castle, but finally they finished it, and they called it Redwall Abbey. Martin became the first Abbey Warrior, and Speedy was the first Abbot. And Gonff got married to Columbine, and Bugs got married to Lola, and he went back to Salamandastron with her and the other hares. But Martin never forgot his awesome, wacky, wild American friend, Bugs Bunny.

THE END


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